


Creekripple's Lie

by CaraLea



Series: The Clans [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Plot Twists, RiverClan (Warriors), ShadowClan (Warriors), SkyClan (Warriors), StarClan (Warriors), ThunderClan (Warriors), WindClan (Warriors)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 18:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 71,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8068903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaraLea/pseuds/CaraLea
Summary: Heronpaw was a normal RiverClan apprentice, or so he thought. But a long ago deed brings a curse upon his Clan that, if the tides are right, maybe Heronpaw can save.





	1. Allegiances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wrote this fic based on a rpg I did on fanpop with my friends. It was a ton of fun to do and to write. I don't have a beta, so I edited this work by myself. This work is already complete and I'm just going to pos the whole thing at once. Don't be overwhelmed.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

**Allegiances:**

**RiverClan:**

Leader: Reedstar- brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and long whiskers.

Deputy: Badgertail- black and gray tom with blue eyes.

Medicine cat: Orangeleaf- orange and brown to with amber eyes.

**Warriors** :

Sandpelt- golden she-cat with amber eyes.

Longwhisker- black tom with long whiskers and amber eyes.  
_Apprentice- Petalpaw_

Mallowtail- brown she-cat with amber eyes.

Applefur- golden brown she-cat with long whiskers and golden eyes.

Mintpool- white she-cat with green eyes.

Owlbeak- black tom with amber eyes.  
_Apprentice- Birchpaw_

Nightfall- large black tom with silvery grey eyes with gold flecks.  
_Apprentice- Slypaw_

Splashcloud- orange tom with sly gray eyes.

Rippleclaw- muscular brown tom with black paws, tail, and ear tips.

Tanglefur- black and gray silver eyed she-cat.

Fightclaw- brown tabby tom with green eyes.

**Apprentices:**

Petalpaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.

Birchpaw- brown tom with amber eyes.

Slypaw- silver tom with amber eyes.

**Queens** :

Icebreath- white she-cat with ice blue eyes. Mother to Badgertail's kits: _Heronkit, Snowkit, Otterkit, Kestrelkit, Sablekit, Ivykit_

Lionfish- golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Mother of Fightclaw's kits: _Robinkit, Falconkit_

Lichenheart- long-furred white she-cat with gray patches and blue eyes. Mother of Longwhisker's kits: _none yet_

**Kits:**

Heronkit- gray and black tom with green/blue eyes.

Ivykit- cream and white she-cat with green eyes.

Otterkit- brown tom with blue eyes.

Sablekit- creamy white she-cat with brown eyes.

Snowkit- white she-cat with dark blue eyes.

Kestrelkit- brown she-cat with lighter flecks and grey eyes.

Robinkit- auburn she-cat with black patches.

Falconkit- golden and black striped tabby tom with yellow eyes.

**Elders:**

Seabreeze- white tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. Once the Medicine Cat.

**SkyClan** :

Leader: Brackenstar- broad-shouldered golden tabby tom with green eyes.

Deputy: Hollystripe- black tom with white patches.

Medicine cat: Floralwhisker- small black she-cat with amber eyes.

**Warriors:**

Creekripple- brown tabby tom with green eyes.  
_Apprentice- Tanglepaw_

Dogtooth- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Dapplepetal- beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with glowing amber eyes.

Pebbleclaw- gray tom with gray eyes.

Beetletail- brown tom with amber eyes.  
_Apprentice- Aloepaw_

Firestone- orange red tabby tom with green eyes.

Daisysong- long-furred golden she-cat with green eyes.  
_Apprentice- Hushpaw_

Sunblaze- golden tom with green eyes.  
_Apprentice- Mosspaw_

Stonetooth- dark gray mottled tom with amber eyes.

Goldenfeather- large, dark golden brown tom with amber eyes.

Fernlight- small orange tabby she-cat with gray paws and green eyes.

**Apprentices:**

Mosspaw- gray and white she-cat with dark blue eyes.

Aloepaw- gray and black she-cat with green/blue eyes.

Hushpaw- dark brown she-cat with brown eyes.

Tanglepaw- brown tom with amber eyes.

**Queens:**

Frostheart- dark gray she-cat with ice blue eyes. Mother of Beetletail's kits: _Streamkit, Mistykit, Willowkit_

Duskpool- dark gray/blue she-cat with amber eyes. Mother of Stonetooth's kits: _Sootkit, Bearkit_

**ThunderClan** :

Leader: Stormstar- dark gray she-cat with amber eyes.

Deputy: Nightdapple- black she-cat with amber eyes.

Medicine cat: Crowtail- black tom with gray eyes.

**ShadowClan:**

Leader: Toadstar- small mottled gray tom with gray eyes.

Deputy: Sparrowfeather- brown tom with amber eyes.

Medicine Cat: Sandcloud- dusky gray she-cat with amber eyes.

**WindClan:**

Leader: Russetstar- orange she-cat with long tail and green eyes.

Deputy: Ravenfang- black tom with white patch on chest.

Medicine cat: Skyleaf- gray she-cat with amber eyes.  
_Apprentice- Dawnriver- long-furred gray she-cat with golden eyes._


	2. Prologue

The waning moon shone down into the clearing, almost bright as day. Its incandescence seemed to change the forest, turning the usually bright green fronds silver wherever the light hit. In the shadows, the darkness was almost consuming. Life was stilled by the holy light given off by the heavens above. Nothing moved, there were no sounds give the crickets calling to each other.

Suddenly, a screech tore through the night. Loud and heated. It was a battle cry. In a distant ravine, paws thrummed against the ground as cat fought against cat.

Away from the fight, however, an orange cat halted from where he had been creeping through the reeds. He flattened himself to the ground, ears pricked in alarm. After only a moment to discern that the fight was nowhere near him, he tilted his head back and stared up at the stars.

"StarClan?" he pleaded to his distant ancestors. "Am I doing the right thing?"

As if to answer his question, a cold breeze ruffled the reeds around him. He shivered. Leaf-bare was well on its way. Was this all part of a bad omen? the orange tom wondered. Another screech split the air, this time away from the battling cats far away. This one was closer, and the cat was obviously in pain.

The orange tom's medicine cat instincts screamed for him to run back and help the hurting she-cat, but he forced himself to sit still. He could not help the cat. She was in the paws of StarClan now. Instead, he glanced around once again to make sure he was safe before rising to his feet. An orange warrior was bounding through the reeds toward him, every hair on his pelt raised in alarm.

"Do you hear that?" the newcomer asked. "Sounds like ShadowClan decided to visit ThunderClan after all, eh Orangeleaf?"

Orangeleaf shrugged, looking down at the forest floor and avoiding his brother's eyes. Sharp as ever, the gray eyed warrior recognized his brother's nervousness. "Do you think it is a sign?"

He blinked, wondering how to answer. "I don't think StarClan approves of what we are doing," he said at last. "This isn't right."

The warrior's orange ears drew back in frustration, his narrowed eyes like hot lasers into the medicine cat's fur. "We can't just leave her," the warrior spat. "And you agreed to this as much as the rest of us."

"I know," Orangeleaf replied, still avoiding his brother's eyes. "It's just…I think we could have thought this out more."

The orange warrior lifted his head and stared in the direction Orangeleaf was coming from as another screech split the night. "Sounds bad," he said, softer now. "We should go back."

"There is no going back, Splashcloud," Orangeleaf said, shaking his head. "She must face her troubles on her own."

Splashcloud stared at his brother with shocked eyes. "I know you don't like it," he meowed. "But that's no reason to just leave her."

Orangeleaf was adamant. "We must keep going." He shifted his paws a little. "Their lives depend on it."

Splashcloud nodded, stepping back to allow his brother to take the lead as they continued through their territory to a sheltered hollow where a young white queen lay drowsing in the moonlight. She was dazzling, with her white pelt glowing in the light of their ancestors. As Orangeleaf padded into the hollow, she lifted her broad head and glared at him. His herbs had left her confused, but even so, she seemed to recognize him, for she didn't argue when he bent his head and gave each of her kits a sniff.

"So that's it, Icebreath," he said quietly. "Six healthy kits."

Icebreath lowered her head to her paws, closing her eyes again. He couldn't tell if she was asleep or not.

"Six kits," Splashcloud repeated in wonder. "How are we going to carry them all back to camp?"

Orangeleaf reached out a paw to rouse the sleeping queen. "We'll have to find a way. They can't be out here long."

Icebreath blinked at him and stared. The medicine cat sighed. They were going to have problems getting back to camp. _I'm sorry, StarClan!_ he wailed internally. _I should never have gone against your word! Please don't take it out on these kits…_

As if in answer to his prayer, he heard pawsteps pounding into the reedbed toward them. "Icebreath!" called a deep voice. "What's wrong with her? What's-?"

The tom froze, his eyes staring down at Icebreath curled up with her six kits. His blue eyes softened as he took in each and every shape. This was Badgertail, the Clan deputy. Orangeleaf forcibly reminded himself that this cat was also the kits' father. "Oh Icebreath," he breathed. "They're so beautiful."

Filing out of the reeds behind him was his patrol. They must have been out looking for the missing queen. Orangeleaf sent a silent prayer of thanks to his ancestors. However they felt about him now, at least they had mercy enough for the kits.

"We have to get them back to camp," he ordered briskly. "The nights have been getting colder. They won't survive away from the warmth of the nursery."

Badgertail reached down and grasped one of the kits with his teeth, motioning for his patrol to do the same. Each of the warriors bent to pick up a kit, Splashcloud included. Orangeleaf nudged Icebreath to her paws, hoping to help lead her back to camp. She had a small white kit clamped in her jaws. Even less than a day old, this small kit looked so much like her mother that Orangeleaf was momentarily stunned. He had to remind himself to stand steady as Icebreath leaned against him.

"Slowly now," he said, but he set off a quicker pace. Long since had the painful wails ceased from behind them. They could not stay here, it was not safe.

Far away, in a dark ravine, the battle raged on.


	3. Chapter 1

Heronkit bounded out of the nursery, relishing the sunlight on his dapple gray and black fur. He was the luckiest kit in the world! He had the greatest Clan in the forest to raise him, and he would have the greatest honor to repay them back by becoming a warrior of his Clan. He was the Clan deputy's son, and would soon be an apprentice! _Just a few more moons, and then I'll be big enough_ , he thought with relish. He lifted his head and tried to make his muscles ripple like the warriors' did whenever they carried in heavy prey, or showed him battle moves.

_I'm gonna be the biggest, the smartest, the bravest cat this Clan has ever seen!_

"Heronkit," snapped his mother's voice. He flinched at the shrill sound. "Get back here."

"But Icebreath, I want to play!"

The white queen's ice blue eyes blazed at him from the nursery entrance. "I don't care if you want to fly to the Moonstone and back, and StarClan grants you the wings to do it! You're not done washing!"

Heronkit pouted. "Who cares?"

"I care," Icebreath answered. "I went through so much trouble to bring you into this world. I at least want you to look presentable." Her voice lightened. "If you ever want to represent your Clan as a warrior, you'll want to look good, won't you?"

He sighed, but trekked back to the nursery, giving the camp one last forlorn look before his mother scooped him back up and pulled him in.

"Look at your paws!" the white queen snapped, her voice reverting back to its normal waspish self as she dropped him in her nest. "Now the apprentices will have to change the bedding all over again."

Lionfish, a golden queen with two older kits raised her head from her nest. "Relax, Icebreath," she purred warmly. "The apprentice's will be changing the bedding again anyway."

"Yeah," Snowkit, one of Heronkit's many littermates spoke up. Although she was small, Snowkit was probably the bravest of the six littermates. "So we shouldn't have to worry about making a mess!"

Icebreath threw a glare at Lionfish before answering. "Well then when you're apprentices, I'll make sure to tell Lichenheart's kits they're free to make as much of a mess as they want, so that you can clean it."

Lichenheart, a beautiful white and gray she-cat, raised her head and nodded, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "That's right. We'll make sure there's a good mess for you to clean up every night."

"And it'll be in the snow," Lionfish added. Heronkit narrowed his eyes.

"No it won't," he answered carefully. "It's snowing now. We won't be apprentices for a while yet." As he spoke the words, a dejected feeling came over him. Why couldn't they be apprentices _now_?

"Not soon enough," Icebreath muttered, lying down in her nest. "Honestly, if you all grow any bigger, we'll have to extend the nursery!"

Lionfish sat up, licking her forepaws and indicating where Robinkit and Falconkit were sleeping. "Speaking of apprentices, Reedstar's decided to make them apprentices."

Heronkit pricked his ears, sitting up with excitement. Beside him, his brother Otterkit also jumped to his paws. "When?"

Lionfish shrugged. "She said she would when the snow stopped." The gentle queen peered through the reeds to the sky. "Which might be a while."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ivykit, another of Heronkit's littermates, demanded. She sounded hurt.

"I didn't want to get them too excited," Lionfish admitted. "It's a hard leaf-bare this year. The river is frozen, and prey is hidden in their holes. And with so many kits, it's getting harder to keep everyone fed." She looked away awkwardly, and Heronkit looked up to see Icebreath shifting on her paws, her eyes gleaming with frustration.

Heronkit was one of a litter of six. Icebreath had told them it was a sign of a strong Clan to have as many kits. He wanted to believe it, but he simply didn't know if he could. When he stretched his memory back to his earliest days, he remembered Icebreath being very weak after his birth. She was young and strong, but even nowadays she looked tired from caring for so many kits. On the other hand, he could see that in the future, when he and his littermates were made warriors, RiverClan would be very strong.

Still, six kits to a litter was an unusual number. He had heard tales of a queen in SkyClan who had had so many kits to many litters. He had never met her, but he had heard a lot about her. Her name was Dapplepetal, and so far, she had birthed 4 litters of kits, each litter being over 4 kits strong.

Sometimes, Heronkit wondered why StarClan would have sent RiverClan such a large number of kits. Everybody said it was a gift to RiverClan to have such a large litter, but he wondered if there was something more to it. Every now and then, he liked to imagine that StarClan had sent him and his littermates to fight some important battle, or something important like that. He even thought he caught the Medicine cat Orangeleaf staring at him funny. But the Medicine cat was weird. He went to the Moonstone with cats from other Clans and shared words with StarClan.

The nursery was too crowded. Heronkit wished he could go out to play in the snow, but he'd already tried that and Icebreath hadn't been too happy. By now, the snow was falling in thick clumps over the camp. He narrowed his eyes, looking out into the camp and trying to make out specific shapes.

There was Badgertail, his father and the Clan deputy. It looked like Badgertail was sitting beside Reedstar, the Clan leader, but you couldn't tell through the snow. There was a small black shape making his way across the camp, beside him a brown tom. Heronkit supposed this was Owlbeak and his apprentice Birchpaw. Where were the other apprentices? He glanced around but he couldn't see any sign of Petalpaw or Slypaw. Maybe they were out training?

Across the camp was the medicine den. He guessed that somewhere in the medicine den was Orangeleaf, but the medicine cat didn't make any sort of appearance. Heronkit wrinkled his nose and tried to make out the elders' den from across the camp. There was only one elder in the Clan: Seabreeze, who had once been the medicine cat. When she had retired, she had gone to live alone in the elders' den. Heronkit was almost jealous of her when Greenleaf came and brought warmth with it. Now, he was almost happy with having so many siblings. It meant he wouldn't go cold at night.

He glanced into the sky. Tonight was supposed to be the Gathering. He wondered if Icebreath would be going. Maybe she would tell him about it when they got back. Every full moon, when the sun set and the moon shone down, the five forest Clans would gather at Fourtrees to share tongues and talk about the previous moon. This Gathering would mark Heronkit's third moon of life, a feat which he was not only proud of, but he had been waiting for. Three moons meant he was halfway to becoming an apprentice.

It also marked Robinkit and Falconkit's sixth moon, something to be jealous of. They were officially old enough to be apprentices.

As though his thoughts had commanded it, Reedstar's voice called out over the Clan, "RiverClan, gather in the clearing for a Clan meeting!"

Icebreath sighed, rising to her feet. "Now you listen here," she said, glaring at each of her kits in turn. "I'm going out to that Clan meeting, and you are all six going to wait here. You will _not_ act like a group of ruffians. You will _not_ follow me out to the meeting. You will _not_ disobey. Do you understand me?"

Six heads nodded simultaneously while six voices chorused, "Yes ma'am."

"You'd better," she growled under her breath, her stern gaze falling away from them as she padded out into the clearing. For the first time, Heronkit reflected, they were alone. Lichenheart had gone to join the clearing, Lionfish had gone, and she had taken Robinkit and Falconkit with her.

"No fair," Snowkit spat. Heronkit padded past her to lie in the nest, wanting only to ignore his sister's ravings. Otterkit, however, was intrigued.

"What's not fair?"

The white she-cat bared her teeth. "Robinkit and Falconkit get to go to the meeting, but we don't!"

"You heard what Lionfish said," Sablekit said quietly. "They're going to be made apprentices!"

"Who cares?" Kestrelkit said. She was by far the quietest of the six kits, but when she did speak, it was always to say something odd like this. "I mean honestly, just cause they get to go doesn't mean they're special."

"Yeah," Sablekit agreed. The shy creamy she-cat blinked at her siblings. "Being an apprentice means that they'll have to go out and train in this blizzard, and they'll have to clean our bedding."

"We should make it extra dirty for them," Snowkit hissed. Heronkit raised his head drowsily.

"Don't say that! Then when we become apprentices, and Lichenheart's kits are born, they'll make _us_ clean up the nests!"

Ivykit snorted. Sometimes, she could be as hot-headed as Snowkit, or even their mother. "I'd like to see them try."

"Well _I_ don't," he responded, curling back into his warm ball. Ivykit and Snowkit huddled together, muttering darkly and casting glances at him. Otterkit and Sablekit were talking together about being apprentices, their eyes light. Kestrelkit sat with them, nodding every now in then in response to something they'd said. Despite her cool attitude toward apprenticeship, Heronkit was convinced that she too wanted to be an apprentice.

It was a long time before Icebreath rejoined them in the nursery. By the time she returned, Heronkit was snoozing. But when she entered, the scent of snow on her fur woke him. He pricked his ears, hoping that she told them about the meeting.

"Where are Robinkit and Falconkit?" Snowkit asked as their mother entered. It was Lichenheart who answered as she curled into her own nest.

"Robinpaw and Falconpaw, now. They'll be moving into the apprentice's den tonight."

"Really?" Sablekit asked, sitting taller. "What about Lionfish? She'll be lonely without them!"

"Mouse-brain!" Snowkit cuffed her over the head. "Lionfish will be moving back to the warriors den. Right?"

"That's right," Icebreath yawned.

"Who are their mentors?" Heronkit asked, looking eagerly up at his mother. He really wanted Badgertail to be his mentor, and was hoping that he hadn't gotten either of the new apprentices.

"Mintpool and Rippleclaw."

He released his breath in relief. His father was still available to mentor. That was a good thing. It meant that some day, maybe he could train them. Heronkit would never say it out loud, but he wanted to his father to himself. It was hard having five littermates to compete with. Some days, he felt like Badgertail didn't really notice him at all.

Icebreath was different, he reflected while gazing up at his mother. She cared for each of her kits with the same sharp tongue as any other, but he could always see her affection for them shining in her eyes. No matter how harsh her voice sounded, she genuinely cared for each and every one of them.

"Will there be a Gathering tonight?" Snowkit asked, pawing their mother's stomach with sharp kit-claws.

Icebreath nodded. "Reedstar is going to try and take a small patrol with her. Warriors only, though I doubt even they could make it to Fourtrees in this weather."

Heronkit tilted his head. "Do you think the other Clans will be there?"

"Maybe," Icebreath answered. "WindClan will probably be there, because there territory is high in the moore. ThunderClan might be there, because their territory is also a little higher. I imagine Toadstar wouldn't want to miss the Gathering, because he's very loyal to the warrior code, but he wouldn't want to risk his warriors. Their territory is lower than the others, in the marshlands, so getting there might be difficult. I can't imagine that SkyClan will be there. They have a StarClan given talent in SkyClan, but Brackenstar's no idiot, and they have a longer way to travel than any other Clan."

Heronkit blinked, trying to imagine it all. He had never met a cat from any of the other Clans, though he had heard enough stories that he could almost imagine them. ShadowClan lived in the marshland under the pine forest, so he always thought of them in darkness, with dark fur and amber eyes. Then there was ThunderClan, across the river. They were all brown with green eyes to him. Then SkyClan, with huge back-ends and grey coats, great for jumping into trees. Lastly was WindClan, with huge feet and sleek tabby fur. In his opinion, none of the other Clans were as handsome as RiverClan.

His mother reached down and gave each of her kits a good sniff before licking them all. She began to purr, and the rhythmic lapping plus her gentle purr lulled him, and before he knew what was happening, he was plunging into milky sleep.


	4. Chapter 2

The sun was high in the sky by the time Heronkit first woke. He blinked, the harsh light drawing him from his cozy dreams. Sitting up, he peered out with his strange blue/green eyes into the barren clearing. The camp was empty, although there were a lot of pawprints going in every direction. He whirled to look around, and found the reason for his late night comforts. Now that they had extra open nests, his family seemed to have spilt out over their own nests and were sprawled out into the next nest over- the one that had belonged to Lionfish and her kits.

Over in her nest in the corner, Lichenheart was snoozing with her tail over her nose. Icebreath was curled up with her paws splayed out in front of her. Lying next to her, in the exact same position was Snowkit. She was an exact copy of their mother, to the degree where she could have been their mother in miniature. He blinked, trying to take that in. It was hard to imagine that someday, Snowkit would be as big as Icebreath, and then he wouldn't be able to tell them apart at all.

Well, maybe by scent, when he was good enough.

He looked carefully at his other siblings. There was Otterkit, his only brother. Otterkit had tawny brown fur with darker stripes. On his other side was Sablekit curled touching noses with Kestrelkit. Creamy white she-cat against brown and gray. On the other side of them, where had been sleeping, Ivykit was sitting up and glaring at him. His whiskers twitched, realizing he had left her in the cold.

She ruffled her fur at him, then chose to curl up next to Otterkit instead. Heronkit chuckled. Ivykit could be pretty hot-headed from time to time, but he doubted that she would hold an actual grudge. He couldn't find himself to worry about it. Instead, there was a camp that needed playing in.

The nursery reeds scratched uncomfortably against his pelt as he tugged himself out of the tightly woven nursery. The fortress where he had spent his whole life was well-built, a sturdy structure made to be difficult to attack and standing in the harshest of weather. Unfortunately, that made getting in and out quite a chore. To make matters more difficult, the nursery was right on the river, so you would always have to get your paws wet to get in or out. He glanced down at his feet and saw that under a fine layer of snow, the river had frozen solid.

He was thankful. It was too cold to be getting his paws wet. With careful aim, he jumped onto the far bank and raced into the clearing. He had misjudged, however, and began slipping and sliding across the camp. It was too fast, he realized. There was no place for him to get a good pawhold on the ground. _StarClan have mercy!_

StarClan must have been feeling kind that day, as he slowed to a stop just outside the medicine cats den without incident.

"Watch it," a voice snapped behind him. "You need to be careful."

Heronkit turned to look up into Orangeleaf's amber eyes, glinted by the muted sunlight. He sat up straight, shaking some of the snow off him. "Sorry, Orangeleaf," he muttered. He knew that he hadn't done anything wrong, but Orangeleaf wasn't a cat to argue with.

"So you should be," he snorted before strutting along to where the fresh-kill pile should be, his nose in the air. A deep voice resounded behind Heronkit, making him jump. "Don't worry about Orangeleaf." He tilted his head back to look into Splashcloud's face. Splashcloud was a young warrior, barely made a warrior by the time Heronkit had been born. He was an orange tabby with a white chest and forepaws. His eyes were gray, making him seem almost put out. It was a strange coloring. Nobody, however, could deny Splashcloud's good skill. He had barely a moon ago chased a badger off of RiverClan territory.

"Of course it went straight over the ThunderClan border, in the direction of SkyClan," he had boasted. "But hey, what are Stormstar and Brackenstar's problems are not ours anymore."

Although he young, Splashcloud commanded a lot of respect from his fellow warriors. He was a strong and loyal warrior, not to mention the fact that he was Orangeleaf's brother. A sudden thought occurred to Heronkit. Splashcloud was certainly a fit candidate for Gatherings, and he was more than capable of the journey there. There stood a good chance that Reedstar had chosen him to be part of the accompanying party.

"Hey Splashcloud," he asked quietly. "Did you go to the Gathering last night?" The orange tabby nodded slowly, not taking his creepy gray eyes off of Heronkit's own. "What happened there?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. We never made it to the hollow."

Heronkit gulped. What did that mean for RiverClan? Would StarClan be angry at them for not going? No, he decided. They had made a good effort to be there, but StarClan had kept them from going. How could they be blamed for that?

Right then, a familiar voice cried out, "Hey Splashcloud, perhaps you'd be interested in going out on patrol this morning, instead of standing around gossiping?"

Heronkit whipped around to face his father as he trotted over to join them. Although his tone sounded harsh, the little gray kit could not take him seriously. Badgertail was friendly all the time. It was what made him such a great deputy.

"On my way," Splashcloud responded, adorning their second in command with a small bow. He then rose to his feet and padded over to where Mallowtail, Longwhisker and Petalpaw were waiting. As he approached them, they all rose and thundered together out of camp. Heronkit watched them go with jealousy burning in his heart. How he longed to follow them! But his apprenticeship was still three moons away.

"Don't worry," Badgertail said, as though reading his thoughts. "You're time will come soon enough."

Heronkit's ears drooped. "I wish it were my time now."

Badgertail chuckled. "You're not ready yet. But you will be, when the time is right."

The little kit pricked his hears, indicating where Splashcloud's patrol had disappeared into the reeds. "Where are they going?"

His father shrugged. "Out to hunt. I suppose they'll head towards the river, but I don't think they'll find anything there."

Heronkit sat up a bit. "Why won't they?"

Badgertail narrowed his blue eyes, as though he were thinking. "The river will be frozen. How will they be able to fish? That is also by the ThunderClan border. The woodland critters will all be in their nests, on the ThunderClan side of the border."

His curiosity was too strong for him to suppress, and since Badgertail was answering questions, he thought he might ask another. "So we can't hunt them?"

"That's right."

But that didn't make any sense. If ThunderClan had prey, and RiverClan didn't, why didn't they just share? "Why won't ThunderClan let us hunt on their lands?"

Badgertail's tail lashed, and Heronkit could see he was getting frustrated. "Because it's against the warrior code to hunt on another Clan's land: something you will have to learn very quickly when you become an apprentice."

Heronkit dared to ask, "Okay, but why don't we just ask ThunderClan for more prey? If they have enough-"

"They do _not_ have enough," Badgertail spat. "It's leafbare. No Clan has enough prey to feed their whole Clan. Do you suppose we go and ask Stormstar for prey, giving away our weakness? What do you think ThunderClan would do?" Before Heronkit could answer, his father kept going. "They would invade our lands and steal what little prey we can find for themselves. It's always been the way of ThunderClan to steal from another Clan. Then we'd be without food, and without a home."

Heronkit trembled, taken aback by his father's sudden outburst. For a moment, his father seemed to swell with unspoken rage. Then without warning, he relaxed, the light of anger dying in his eyes and his fur laying flat.

"I'm sorry, Heronkit. I did not mean to yell. But we cannot ask the other Clans for help in these dark days, just as we cannot help them if they needed us to. It is the way of the warrior code. One day, you will learn."

Heronkit didn't have time to respond before his father was padding away, head and tail drooping. He hissed in disbelief. The other Clans might be starving like they were? It was hard to think that they would have anything to worry about. _WindClan_ didn't have a frozen river to worry about. _ShadowClan_ hunted the rats at Carrionplace in leafbare. _ThunderClan_ had all that fat lazy prey asleep just below the surface of the forest. _SkyClan_ 's prey lived in trees, high above the snow. It was _RiverClan_ who would suffer the most this leafbare, with the hard snowfall and the frozen river. RiverClan would be the Clan that would need the most land. Why couldn't the other Clans see that?

His blood chilled as he wondered if what Badgertail had said was true. If the other Clans did know about RiverClan's weakness, would they really drive them out?


	5. Chapter 3

Heronkit was sitting with his paws tucked under him, watching the sun lower in the sky. One moon had passed since his father had yelled at him, and he still did not feel enlightened. Other Clans being the enemy made sense, but in the chill of snowfall, wouldn't it make more sense to align with each other? As it turned out, nobody else seemed to think so.

Snowkit had called him a mouse-brain. "Of course the other Clans are our enemies," she'd said it as though it were obvious. "Anyone with a brain can see that."

Sablekit and Otterkit had both been reluctant to talk about it at all. "The other Clans will do what they will," Otterkit had muttered uncomfortably.

"Yeah, we can only do what we can. Maybe you should let it drop," Sablekit had added.

Ivykit had even gone as far as to start calling him a traitor. "We can't depend on the other Clans? How can you even say that? RiverClan is not weak!"

But that wasn't entirely true. The hunting patrols were finding it harder and harder to bring back prey as the snow season went on. More and more of the evil white stuff seemed to fall, piling higher than even Badgertail's head. The cats were slowly freezing and starving to death trying to dig their way out of camp so that they could get prey. They were lucky sometimes to even find enough prey to feed both the elder and the queens. Heronkit tried not to feel guilty about this. His mother had told them that they needed to be strong so that they could survive the winter and become apprentices. Then, they would be able to make it up to the Clan by working extra hard to make RiverClan stronger.

In the meantime, the other Clans were becoming complete mysteries to RiverClan. It was impossible for patrols to make it the whole way to the border. With no one there to watch the borders, Badgertail was certain that the other Clans were getting into their territory. Orangeleaf was not so sure. "With all the snow we've been having, they'll be having troubles too," the medicine cat had argued one day. "They're probably watching their borders as much as we are."

Reedstar had frowned. "I'd still like our borders watched."

"But we can't," Badgertail hissed in frustration. "I've tried getting there myself. The snow is just too high."

Reedstar stood up. "I'd like to try myself. I'll take Fightclaw and Sandpelt with me."

When Heronkit had told his siblings about asking the other Clans for help, only one had agreed with him. "I don't see why the Clans have so many issues with each other to begin with," Kestrelkit had agreed. "Clan rivalries just weaken us even more. When I'm older, I want to help all the Clans!"

Ivykit had hissed, bearing her teeth. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard!" Snowkit argued. "How in the name of StarClan do you expect to help the other Clans?"

"And why would you want to?" Ivykit snarled.

Kestrelkit flicked her ears. "I don't want to be a warrior. I want to be a medicine cat!"

Orangeleaf had seemed genuinely pleased to be taking on an apprentice. He'd smiled, at least, when Icebreath had told him. Since then, their mother had demanded that Kestrelkit be treated with respect. Apparently, being a medicine cat was a huge honor, though Heronkit still thought it was weird that anyone would rather sort herbs and perform strange (secret) rituals on the half-moon.

The sound of fur brushing reeds had Heronkit skidding through the camp to see who it was. He froze when he realized it was a strange cat he didn't know. Before he had time to decide what to do, a cat scooped him up and took him back to the nursery. He looked up to see Badgertail's eyes, shining with worry, looking into his own. "Stay here," he ordered. The deputy raced away, not giving Heronkit time to argue.

"What's going on?" asked Lichenheart from her nest in the back. Lying at her stomach were her three kits, Cinderkit, Tigerkit, and Swankit. They were too little yet to do anything other than suckle.

"There's a strange cat in the camp. Badgertail told me to stay here."

Lichenheart's eyes widened and she wrapped her tail protectively around her three kits. Snowkit hissed as she too was ushered into the nursery. "Good job, Heronkit," she spat. "Now we're all stuck here!"

Heronkit shook his head. He was too curious as to what was going on to take offense at his sister's abrasive tone. "What's going on? Who is that cat?"

Snowkit shrugged. "As if I know. All I saw was that strange cat come right into camp and then Lionfish was telling me to get back here."

"Do you think it's an invasion?" Sablekit asked fearfully. Otterkit, who was sitting next to her, sat up proudly.

"Don't worry sis, I'll protect you."

Ivykit sat up from where she had been napping. "You're all stupid. If you really want to know, go out into the clearing and check."

Sablekit shook her head, but before she could say anything, Lichenheart spoke up, "You'll do no such thing. You were sent here for a reason."

Ivykit rose to her feet and padded over to the entrance, peering out. "Doesn't look like an invasion to me."

Lichenheart bared her teeth. "I don't care if it is an invasion or not, you're not going out there."

"What's going on?" Heronkit asked nervously.

Ivykit narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. He's just sitting there. Badgertail is with him. I think they're waiting for Reedstar's patrol to return."

Lichenheart rose to her feet, her three kits squealing behind her. She padded up to the nursery entrance and peered out over Ivykit's head. Heronkit noted while she stood there that Ivykit was perhaps a head shorter than the full-grown queen. Surely that meant that they were almost big enough to become apprentices.

"That's Creekripple!" she exclaimed in disbelief. Heronkit watched her eyes darken as she looked at all the kits. "He's a warrior from SkyClan. You kits stay in the nursery, now. He's not a very friendly warrior with the other Clans."

"What's a SkyClan warrior doing in our camp?" Snowkit asked curiously. It was the first time that she asked a question without sarcasm.

Kestrelkit flicked her ears. "Do you think there's trouble? Is he hurt or something?"

Lichenheart shook her head. "I don't know. But listen kits, it would be better if you were to stay away from him."

"Why?" Heronkit asked. "What'd he do?"

Lichenheart's eyes were wide. "Just stay away from him, okay?"

The six kits each dipped their heads. "Yes, Lichenheart."

The gray and white queen lay back in her nest, curling her sleek fur around her kits. Her azure eyes flickered around the den while she licked her kits vigorously. It could not have been more obvious that she was very worried. Heronkit frowned. What had Creekripple done that had left this sharp-witted queen so worried? He peered out of the den and looked at the SkyClan cat.

The tabby warrior had flashy green eyes. Currently, his eyes were trained on Badgertail, nodding to whatever the Clan deputy was saying. Out of the corner of Heronkit's own green eyes, he saw Orangeleaf padding out of his den and watching the SkyClan with a near panicked look on his face. He was so focused on the dark-stripped warrior sitting next to his Clan deputy that Heronkit was sure he wouldn't have noticed if started pouring.

Once upon a time, Orangeleaf had looked upon Heronkit with those eyes. It had been raining then, a cold slush covering the ground. Ivykit had led her siblings out of camp on a tour of the territory. They hadn't made it too far before his sister, Sablekit, had gotten stuck in the mud. Wailing for help, Heronkit had nearly panicked; racing back in the direction he thought they'd come. Instead, he had ended up near the ThunderClan border without knowing how he'd gotten there. With the freezing river overflowing, one of his sisters stuck in the mud some ways back, and his siblings scattered, fear had nearly crushed the small kit until he'd been found.

Splashcloud had ushered him back to camp, where Orangeleaf was already taking care of his other littermates. "Where was he?" the medicine cat had asked lightly.

"By the ThunderClan border," the orange warrior answered his brother with equal calm. But something about Splashcloud's answer seemed to bother the medicine cat. Heronkit had never had such a telling off before in his life, not even from Icebreath when she'd found out. Even now, after all this time, Heronkit could still remember the half-crazed look in Orangeleaf's eyes as he'd yelled.

Now, Orangeleaf was looking at Creekripple like that. Thankfully, the strange warrior didn't seem to notice the looks he was getting, or if he did, he carefully ignored them.

Right then, Reedstar padded into camp followed by Fightclaw and Sandpelt. Both of her warriors hissed when they spotted Creekripple, bearing their teeth in equally fierce snarls. Heronkit couldn't say he was surprised by their aggression. Fightclaw was a small striped brown warrior, with a temper that could drive badgers away. Sandpelt was just as easily provoked. She was a shorthaired golden she-cat, with beautiful green eyes. When she stepped into the sunlight, Sandpelt really was a dazzling sight. But Heronkit had long learned not to be fooled by her good looks. She had a tongue sharper than her claws, and she was afraid to use neither.

Reedstar flicked her tail, warning her warriors back before she stepped up. Throwing her head back, she let out a caterwaul to signify a Clan meeting. Heronkit wanted to step out into the clearing to join the Clan, but before he could, Lichenheart was there.

"Don't even think about it," she warned the kits before slipping out to find her mate. Heronkit noticed Longwhisker padding over to join her. He watched his Clanmates pad uneasily out to meet one another. Most of their tails were fluffed up, their eyes flickering around nervously. He noted that Icebreath was trotting up to join Badgertail. His mother had left the nursery that morning for a hunting patrol. She must have just gotten back.

Creekripple sat calmly while the Clan finished gathering. Reedstar faced him and spoke, almost too quiet for Heronkit to hear at this distance.

"What are you doing in RiverClan? Has Brackenstar a message for me?"

The striped warrior shook his broad head. "No message," he rasped, sounding exhausted. Heronkit blinked. How could Creekripple look and sound so different? "I've come here on my own."

More than one cat hissed in disbelief.

"And why would you do that?" Reedstar's voice was level, but even from the nursery her discomfort was evident.

Creekripple hesitated, his mouth open as though he had no reply. Finally, when he did spoke, he said each word carefully, "Something has happened this past moon. Something that made me realize I can no longer be a part of SkyClan."

Reedstar's ears flicked with surprise. "Well, I'm sure we'd all love to hear what's happened."

The well-muscled warrior shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "I'd rather not say."

"Of course he wouldn't," sneered Fightclaw while Sandpelt whipped around to face their leader. "Are you gonna take this?"

Reedstar raised her tail for silence, not peeling her eyes away from Creekripple. "I have seen you, Creekripple. I know what a loyal warrior you have been. Brackenstar has given you much praise, and I am correct to know you have great heritage to live up to."

The tabby nodded. "Dogtooth and Dapplepetal were great parents to me. And it is true that I have worked very hard for SkyClan. But they are not my Clan anymore."

Too consumed was the Clan to notice, but Heronkit saw Orangeleaf staring at the SkyClan warrior as though he had never seen anything like him before. Heronkit hissed, wishing their medicine cat didn't have to be such a mousebrain.

Reedstar's eyes were piercing, narrowed as they surely were now. "Why on earth would you say that?"

Creekripple was trembling. He did seem reluctant to speak, but when he started, it tumbled out in a rush, as though he couldn't wait to get it over with. "My mate, Fernlight, has been killed by another SkyClan warrior." Chatter broke out among the Clan, but Creekripple continued. "I didn't see her murder, yet I know she must have been."

Reedstar had to call for silence before she asked, "How do you know she was murdered?"

The tabby was shaking now, his eyes glazed as he answered, "She was killed by a warrior's blow. No animal could have done it, be it fox or badger. But there were no other Clan scents around her body. Unless StarClan themselves came down and snatched her life away, it had to have been a SkyClan cat."

The RiverClan leader was shaking her head. "I'm sorry for your loss, Fernlight was a good cat. But what do you want RiverClan to do about it? Leafbare is too tough to launch an attack, and we have no idea who we'd be attacking. This is Brackenstar's problem. If you want some form of revenge, you should have turned to him, not us."

Creekripple shook his head. "I'm not interested in revenge yet. I still can't believe she's gone." His voice grew steadier as he continued, "But I have come to terms with the fact that SkyClan can no longer be my Clan. I do not wish to live with warriors who murder their own Clanmates."

Reedstar spoke so quietly that Heronkit couldn't hear her. Creekripple's eyes locked with hers when he answered her, "If you will have me, I will be the most loyal warrior I can offer you. I would hunt extra hard to get you prey, and I will fight against my own birth-Clan if necessary."

Before she could answer, Sandpelt spoke, "No way. You're not really going to fall for this, are you Reedstar?"

The leader glanced at her. "You think it is a trick?" she sounded more interested than she was upset.

Sandpelt was nodding vigorously. "He's probably come to spy on us."

"Yeah, how we do we know we can trust him?" Birchpaw asked his brother quietly. Slypaw only flicked his ears in agreement.

Creekripple spat, his hackles rising, "Spy for that group of rogues? Never! I've lost all loyalty to SkyClan when Fernlight was killed."

Reedstar seemed shocked at his outburst. While she was still silent, a new voice spoke up, "We can't very well leave him." It was Mallowtail. Heronkit frowned. He wasn't sure what Mallowtail expected them to do. "If what he's saying is true, and we send him away, he'll die."

"There are other Clans in the forest," Icebreath said, speaking for the first time. "And I'm sure that Creekripple could manage on his own, if it came to that."

Mallowtail bristled. "Oh yeah, I'm sure the other Clans would love to have him."

"Just like we do?" Fightclaw spat. "In case you haven't noticed Mallowtail, no cat wants him here."

"That's not true," Applefur said, racing to stand beside her Clanmate. "I don't think we should send him away if he'll die."

To Heronkit's dismay, a lot of the Clan seemed to agree with her. Tanglefur and Nightfall were sitting close together, whispering and shooting glances at the two she-cats, but not far away, Mintpool and Rippleclaw were nodding. Even Badgertail exchanged a glance with Icebreath and shrugged.

Finally, Reedstar spoke, "If what Creekripple says is true, then we have more to worry about than his mixed loyalties. It sounds to me as if there's a cat in SkyClan who would be willing to murder to get what they want."

Creekripple bowed his head, hiding his face. Reedstar scrutinized him for a moment longer. "What would you give me in exchange for staying here?"

His head snapped up as though he could not have heard her correctly. "Exchange?" he said in a carrying whisper. He paused, as though thinking. "Anything."

Murmuring broke out again as Sandpelt shot him a mistrustful glance. Across the clearing, Rippleclaw was nodding again, as though proud of the warrior for saying that.

Reedstar jerked her head toward her den. "I want my senior warriors to join me in my den. Creekripple, you come too. In the meantime, I want this fresh-kill distributed properly."

She turned and stalked away, not bothering to check if her orders were carried out. Heronkit looked back into the nursery and saw Snowkit and Ivykit exchange a glance. Kestrelkit was curled up asleep, as though she didn't want to have anything to do with what was going on in the clearing. Otterkit was bristled with excitement, sharing glances with Sablekit as though he couldn't quite believe what was happening.

Heronkit looked back into the clearing. He could see his mother trotting after his father toward Reedstar's den. Badgertail was walking beside her, their movements easily echoing one another's. Suddenly, Icebreath stiffened and whipped her head around to stare at the nursery. When their eyes locked, Heronkit felt as though he was drawn by the intensity of her gaze. She reminded him of someone, but staring into her blue eyes, he couldn't remember whom. Blinking his eyes to break the contact, he thought for just a moment he saw a different set of eyes staring down on him with that same look. Then the moment had passed. Icebreath had looked away, and their gazes were no longer locked. The memory that had been dancing so tantalizing on the edges of his vision was gone.

He watched from afar as his mother trotted forward and muttered eagerly in Badgertail's ear. The deputy nodded, licking her ear before she turned and trotted toward the nursery. He pricked his ears, sitting up straighter and watching her come. She didn't pause even to acknowledge when Lionfish went to say something to her until she was there at the nursery.

Heronkit stepped back to let her through. Every movement she made was pure grace, as though she'd never had any problems after his birth. Her tail lashed easily with her loping steps, her ears twitching as she rested her blue eyes on her six kits.

"Icebreath, who is that?" Otterkit asked, leaning forward. At his question, even Kestrelkit sat up to listen.

Her white head tilted to the side as she decided how best to answer him. "Creekripple is a warrior of SkyClan," she answered at last.

Heronkit spoke, confusion clouding his mind. "But he just said he'd left SkyClan."

Icebreath hissed, her eyes flashing. "I don't believe it. I think Creekripple is trying to trick us."

"Why would he do that?" Ivykit asked. "It's not like RiverClan owe him anything."

Icebreath didn't answer, her eyes flashing with an unreadable emotion as she looked at Ivykit for the first time. His sister flinched under their mother's gaze, rearing back as though she'd been hit. Heronkit narrowed his eyes. It was the same look she'd given him earlier.

"Do you see the danger that leafbare has brought RiverClan?" Lichenheart said softly from across the den. Her voice was soothing compared to Icebreath's intense glare.

"Of course," Ivykit said, looking away to where the gray and white queen was laying with her kits. "We're close to starving."

Lichenheart nodded slowly. "Well, leafbare brought that risk to every Clan. SkyClan might be having problems that they think we can solve."

"So why not ask for help?" Heronkit questioned. "If SkyClan are having problems and we have the solution, why not ask us to help them?"

"That's the thing," Icebreath took up Lichenheart's explanation. "If we really did have the solution to a hungry leafbare, why would we give it to SkyClan when we have so many RiverClan mouths to feed?"

Heronkit opened his mouth to reply and found he had nothing to say. Sablekit asked, "Does this mean that RiverClan don't have the solution?"

Icebreath shrugged, "Our methods work for us. I doubt that they'd work for SkyClan as well."

Otterkit rose to his feet, "So what does Creekripple hope to accomplish by coming here?"

"Brackenstar might have sent him to try and infiltrate our camp," Icebreath said quietly. "To take our territory and kick us out."

Otterkit's fur bristled. "So why don't we drive him out?"

Lichenheart's voice was softer still as she answered, "We don't know that Creekripple is here to spy on us. He might be here for the reasons he says he is."

Heronkit frowned, trying to think. If there was even the smallest chance that Creekripple was an infiltrator, shouldn't they drive him out? He recalled Mallowtail's words: If we drive him away and he's telling the truth, he'll die…

He shivered, trying to picture being in Reedstar's position. It must be hard on her to have to make choices like that all the time. If that was what it took to be Clan leader, Heronkit never wanted to aim that far. He could still give to his Clan and remain a warrior, if that's what he wanted. Besides, only very few cats got chosen for Clan leader, and he didn't quite see himself ever getting chosen.

Icebreath pricked her ears as Reedstar's voice once more called out, "Let all cats join in the clearing for a Clan meeting."

"I'd better go, kits. Stay here, please." She gazed at each of them sternly before padding out. Never before had Icebreath sounded so desperate. Shock coursed through him as her tail vanished through the reedbed. She must have been really frightened to sound that worked up.

Heronkit laid down in the nest that he shared with Ivykit and Otterkit. He was too tired to think of any solution on his own right now. And if Reedstar had called a Clan meeting, she must have come up with a decision on her own. He would just have to trust her word.

He was just dozing when Icebreath returned. Her scent was different somehow. Something must have spooked her, or maybe she was just upset. "What did Reedstar say?" Snowkit asked immediately.

Icebreath's voice shook in the slightest as she answered, "Creekripple is allowed to stay."

Heronkit was surprised that she had come to that decision so quickly. It was obviously distressing to some of her warriors, if Icebreath's reaction was any indication. But he had to trust Reedstar. After all, she had been appointed by StarClan, and was by extension their word. How could he ignore the will of StarClan?


	6. Chapter 4

The sound of coughing woke Heronkit the next day. He opened his eyes, still curled in a tight ball. Sunlight was filtering through the interwoven reeds that sheltered the nursery. The light was warm, and smelled of newleaf. The seasonal change could not be that far off. It would be all too easy to forget the hardships of leafbare, lost in the light that promised rich pickings so soon.

His ears pricked, swiveling around his head as the coughing started up again. It sounded thick, as though there were something stuck in the cough that simply wasn't coming up. Heavy labored breathing followed it as whomever it was struggled to carry on with whatever they were doing.

"Oh no!" Icebreath's voice sounded, so loud and clear next to his head that it made him jump up in alarm. His mother ignored him. Her ears were plastered to her head, her eyes wide and her mouth agape with horror. "That sounds just like last year, when the Greencough infestation took over every Clan!"

Lichenheart lifted her head drowsily. "Do you remember how hard that leaf-bare was? At least newleaf is on the way."

The white queen shook her head. "Newleaf isn't for a long time yet."

Heronkit exchanged a glance with Otterkit. What would happen if Greencough infested the camp? He peered out of the nursery wall to see Nightfall making his way carefully to the medicine den. It was obvious that he was very sick. His eyes were glazed with exhaustion, and his fur shined greasily. Heronkit blinked. The black warrior certainly didn't look well. What would happen if all the warriors got sick?

His ears swiveled around on his head as his pelt pricked uncomfortably. He turned to see Icebreath staring at him- staring at all of her kits –with worried eyes. Even the kits could see the clear anguish in her gaze as she imagined them falling ill. Heronkit drew his ears back in surprise. Kestrelkit jumped to her feet.

"Please let me go to the medicine den! Maybe Orangeleaf needs my help."

Icebreath was shaking her head. "You'll see enough of that when you're an apprentice."

Kestrelkit narrowed her eyes. "Is Greencough contagious?"

The white queen's tail lashed. "Very. Last leafbare, we almost starved because so many cats got sick."

Kestrelkit's eyes widened. "But there's a cure, isn't there. I mean, we all don't still have Greencough."

Icebreath nodded. "Yes, there is a cure: Catmint. But it's never as easy. Last year, all the Catmint stores were used up to cure the sick cats, and growing Catmint was killed by the frost." She bowed her head as she added, "Snowfreckle died."

Heronkit felt a slight breeze pick up, ruffling his fur the wrong way at her words. Once more, his fur prickled uneasily, as though somebody was watching him. He pricked his ears, listening for any sound. The smallest murmur was on the wind, but as he listened for it, it died off completely. The harder he listened, the more it seemed to fade until it was gone completely. The moment passed, and his fur lay flat again. He noticed Kestrelkit sitting up with her ears pricked as well, as though she too had heard the voice. No one else seemed to have noticed.

Ivykit was scratching her ear, looking up at her mother with narrowed green eyes. "Did the Catmint grow back?" Icebreath nodded slowly, looking at her little she-kit. "Then we should be fine, shouldn't we? I mean, it's just one sick cat."

"And Orangeleaf is a great medicine cat," Kestrelkit added, glancing around at her siblings defensively.

"And that," Ivykit acknowledged, looking at her hind claw closely.

Heronkit thought that would settle it. Of _course_ they'd be okay. RiverClan was the strongest Clan in the forest. With Catmint and a medicine cat to distribute it, they shouldn't be having any problems. But Icebreath was shaking her head. "You kits don't understand how fast Greencough spreads," she said quietly.

"That's right," Lichenheart added from her nest. "How do you think the Greencough epidemic started last year? With just one sick cat after another."

"And you mark my words," Icebreath murmured so quietly, Heronkit wasn't sure he heard her. "There'll be more sick cats before this day is done."

…

Icebreath sat outside the nursery while Badgertail and Reedstar sent out patrols. Rippleclaw was taking out a patrol with Lionfish, Slypaw, and Tanglefur. The young warrior lagged at the back of the patrol, her eyes glazed and her nose running.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rippleclaw asked her. She opened her mouth to answer and sneezed.

"Tanglefur!" Badgertail called after the she-cat. "Get yourself to the medicine den."

"But what about patrol?" she rasped, her voice cracking.

Badgertail narrowed his eyes. "Mintpool can go instead. You go to the medicine den."

Tanglefur tried to dip her head, but ended up coughing. Spluttering, she stumbled to the medicine den. Kestrelkit watched with her fur fluffed up, her eyes wide with worry, but Heronkit couldn't bring himself to worry. It was just one more sick cat, not a whole patrol of them. He was sure that Orangeleaf could handle it.

Instead, he crept forward, practicing the hunter's crouch that Birchpaw had showed him. He stepped forward, careful to make sure his feet didn't step on the frozen reedbed beneath him. He stopped a tail-length away from his sister. He wriggled his haunches, then gave a massive leap. His jump landed him directly on his sister.

She squeaked in surprise. They tumbled down the clearing together. He tried to nip at his sister's ear and failed, wrapping stead around until the two collided into a cat's paws. Whoever it was stepped back as they fell apart. He was laughing, and was happy to see that she was too. She raced away from him, charging up the clearing like the perfect piece of prey.

"That's right, ThunderClan warrior, run!" he called after her. "Run all you want, but I, Heronstar, leader of RiverClan, will always catch up!"

He raced after his sibling, leaving a stunned Creekripple in his wake.

By the time he caught up to her, his feet were crunching on the frozen reedbed again. He leaped and landed awkwardly on his sister's hind paws. She stumbled and slipped on the ice before collapsing to sprawl on the ground with her paws splayed out. He screamed with laughter as she tried to rise to her feet, only to fall again.

The sound of pawsteps made him stop and look up. Badgertail was looming over them. "What do you think you're doing?"

Heronkit looked up, expecting to see his father smiling. It was a good, sunny day. It was almost warm again. Instead, his father looked almost angry, his eyes dark with disapproval. Heronkit and Kestrelkit sat up, their game forgotten.

"We were just playing."

Badgertail lashed his long tail angrily. "You were getting in the way. Do you think the Clan doesn't have better things to do than to look out for you?"

Heronkit trembled. "We didn't mean anything by it!"

The deputy shook his head, turning away. "There are sick cats in the camp. We need every warrior we can get. Right now, we don't have the numbers to look after you. You need to keep out of the way if you can." As he began to pad away, he added, "I'd expect better from my own kits." Heronkit watched, shame trickling through him as he watched his father pad over to the fresh-kill pile, where Mallowtail and Creekripple joined him.

Icebreath's scent wreathed around him. "Don't worry," she said quietly. "You're father's just worried about the Clan, that's all."

Heronkit turned away from his father and bowed his head, unable to look his mother in the eyes. "I've disappointed him."

Icebreath licked his ear. "Maybe. But you'll get the chance to make it up to him."

He looked up into his mother's unusually soft eyes, blinking hopefully. "How?"

She flicked her tail. "We need to clean out the elder's bedding."

Heronkit pouted. "That's an apprentice's job!"

Icebreath bared her teeth, reverting back to her old self. "Well that's fitting, as you'll soon be apprentices."

He drew back, afraid of his mother's wrath too when he realized she was right. If he wanted to be a Clan apprentice, he should act like it. "Then let's get started!" He whisked away across the clearing, Ivykit and Snowkit hard on his paws.

"Can I please work in the medicine den?" he heard Kestrelkit asking.

"No." Although Icebreath sounded apologetic, her voice was firm. "There are cats with Greencough in there. I don't want you getting sick too."

Kestrelkit's voice shook a little as she dared to mew, "But when I'm Orangeleaf's apprentice, I'll be working in there full time."

Icebreath's reply was edged with annoyance. "That's all fine and dandy, but you're not an apprentice yet, and Orangeleaf has enough to deal with without having to also put up with kits running around his paws."

That shut his sister up, though he couldn't help feeling bad for her. She only wanted to help, just like the rest of the Clan. Why did they have to sit back while they're Clanmates worked extra hard when they could be doing something. He was ready to become an apprentice now! But the precious warrior code dictated that he couldn't. He curled a string of moss around his claw. There was no way he could change the warrior code, and he supposed it was there for a reason. Poor Kestrelkit would just have to put up like the rest of them.

Flicking the moss at her, he said light-heartedly, "I'll bet I get more than you!"

She glared at him, reproachful after being yelled at twice already that day. Snowkit and Ivykit however were not to be put down.

"You'll never beat me, bro!" Ivykit snorted, clawing out huge clumps of moss with her kit-claws. "I'm the best moss collector in the Clan!"

Seabreeze, the lone elder purred, "That sounds good to me! Apprentices today hate cleaning out my bedding, and they always bring back moss that's dirty and full of rocks."

Ivykit raised her chin proudly, "I'll always bring you the softest, cleanest moss, Seabreeze, even when I'm a warrior."

"I'll hold you to it," Seabreeze mewed, blinking fondly at Ivykit. Heronkit suppressed a giggle. Ivykit probably wouldn't be collecting moss for the elder when she was a warrior. She'd probably be bossing the others into doing it for her.

By the time they had all the soiled moss collected, Icebreath had returned with a huge wad of clean moss. "I'll take that out and dump it well away from camp," she said politely to Seabreeze. "In the meantime, my kits will set up a new nest for you."

You would think with only one elder, the task wouldn't be that hard. What Heronkit actually discovered is that the task felt impossible, even between the four of them (StarClan knows where Sablekit and Otterkit ran off to). Laying down the moss was not enough. Then had to shape it into a nest, which the cold-stiff ferns refused to do. After a while, it was looking pretty good when Icebreath returned with downy from some bird, maybe a pigeon. Raveling those up into the nest so it was soft and warm was a real chore, though with Icebreath helping it went by faster.

When all was said and done, they stepped back to admire their handy work. "Seabreeze," Icebreath said softly. "Your nest is ready."

The calm elder walked in and curled up around her nest. "It's wonderful. Thank you." She lifted her head and blinked warmly at all of the kits, and Heronkit felt a thrill of pride coarse through him. He had done a real apprentice's task in helping the Clan! Perhaps he had something good to look forward to after all.


	7. Chapter 5

"From this moment on, you shall be known as Birchfoot," Reedstar's alto thrilled throughout the camp, resonating off the back camp wall. "StarClan honors your strength, and your courage, and we welcome you as a full member of RiverClan."

"Birchfoot!" Heronkit cheered along with his Clanmates. He looked around, seeing the whole Clan gathered around him. The newly named Petalcloud and Slyheart sat with their heads up too, having just been made warriors themselves.

He looked around, surprised to see how small the Clan was today. Not that there weren't a lot of members, but rather that not many had come for the ceremony. Icebreath and Lichenheart had been right; Greencough spread fast. By now, Fightclaw, Robinpaw, and Lionfish were also sick. Heronkit glanced at Petalcloud. Although her head was up, her eyes were glazed with exhaustion and her nose was crusted with icky mucus. Before long, she too would be pulled off of duties.

As the cheering died down, Reedstar padded back into her den, tail drooping. "It must be awful to have to sit and watch your Clan get sick over and over," he muttered into Sablekit's ear. She flicked her ear in agreement.

"Alright," Badgertail began directing patrols. "I'd like Sandpelt to take a patrol along the ThunderClan border. Take Mintpool and Falconpaw with you. Make sure that you mark every rock along that river. With Stormstar so sick, and obviously on her last life, ThunderClan are a little on edge. I wouldn't put it past Nightdapple to send a patrol along for Sunningrocks, just to prove their strength." Sandpelt dipped her head and beckoned to her Clanmates before racing out of camp.

"Rippleclaw, take Applefur and Longwhisker along the WindClan border. Just be sure they haven't been crossing where they shouldn't have. Our territory is narrow there. It'd be too easy for WindClan warriors to cross our boundaries.

"That takes care of border patrols. Hunting: I'd like Creekripple to take a patrol along to the Twoleg farm." As soon as the words had left his mouth, protests rang up.

"You should send a RiverClan warrior to do that!" Slyheart called out.

"Longwhisker is perfectly capable of leading that patrol, or Mallowtail!" Splashcloud agreed, lashing his tail in disapproval.

Badgertail raised his tail for silence. "I know how you feel. But ever since Creekripple got here, he's done nothing but work hard to show us that he wishes to be loyal only to us now. Besides, it's a _hunting_ patrol, not a border patrol."

"Yeah," Birchfoot added, lifting his head. "Come on guys, we're short on warriors now that Greencough is in the camp. We need all the hunters we can get. And we're not going anywhere near the SkyClan border. It shouldn't be hard for Creekripple to remember where his loyalties lie."

Creekripple ducked his head in embarrassment, licking his chest fur a couple of times to hide his prickling fur. He glanced up at Birchfoot and nodded slowly. "Be that as it may, perhaps Badgertail does want to reconsider. You do have to take your Clanmates' opinions into account."

"They don't run this Clan," Badgertail countered. "We need warriors here at camp, too. Creekripple, you're perfectly capable of leading this patrol, and I want you to lead it. Take Mallowtail and Birchfoot with you."

Creekripple dipped his head, though Heronkit could tell he was uncomfortable. So were most of the rest of the Clan. They had huddled together in clumps, muttering darkly and casting hostile glances toward Badgertail and Creekripple alike.

Deep sympathy charged through Heronkit in that moment. He couldn't imagine being driven from RiverClan, not that anyone _here_ would commit such a horrible crime as to scare him into leaving. But it must have been hard for the strange tom. One of his old Clanmates had been killed by another, and the feeling of trust that held Clans together had been ruined. Now he was stuck living with another Clan, where nobody liked him anyway. Perhaps RiverClan could become his home, if he worked hard enough. Heronkit's pelt prickled. He had always taken his place in his Clan for granted. Losing it would be a travesty.

Creekripple rose to his feet and padded out of camp, Birchfoot running close beside him and Mallowtail not far behind. Heronkit remembered that Mallowtail had been one of the cats to convince Reedstar to let him stay. Birchfoot had seemed to disagree at the time, but he must have changed his mind since then. At least Creekripple would have the chance to bring back lots of fresh-kill without hostile eyes on him.

Badgertail turned to the remaining warriors. "Longwhisker, you take a patrol to check the SkyClan border as soon as the WindClan patrol returns. I don't want a single tree unmarked. If someone on the other side did kill Fernlight, I do _not_ want them crossing over to our territory. Understood?"

Longwhisker nodded, eyes gleaming. Heronkit padded away, heading toward the medicine den. He had been forbidden to go in, but that didn't stop him from looking every now and then. His ears flicked as he bent his head around, looking into the den. He held his breath, hoping to avoid catching the deadly disease.

Tanglefur and Nightfall were curled up in the back of the den. They were fast asleep, their chests rising and falling together. Lionfish was awake, sitting up and staring blankly at the wall of the den. Every time her chest moved, Heronkit could hear a stirring in her chest. Was that the sickness that was plaguing her so? Fightclaw and Robinpaw were curled up close to one another. Heronkit remembered with a jolt that Robinpaw was Fightclaw's kit. All three, mother father and daughter, were sick now. The only remaining kin of theirs untainted was Falconpaw.

He backed up slowly, trying desperately not to imagine other sick faces running through his head. There was Sablekit, coughing, and Kestrelkit lying on her side, chest heaving as she fought to get air into her lungs. There, Icebreath and Snowkit lay side-by-side, identical in every manor. Fever spilled off of them like a tide, warming him until he thought his fur would burn off. Ivykit, eyes glazed, stared back at him, and in their reflection, he saw Otterkit heaving with sickness.

"Heronkit?" said a deep voice, making him jump. He spun around, wanting to flee from his awful visions when his eyes locked with familiar, deep blue eyes. Badgertail stood with his head cocked to one side, his fur clinging to his frame and his eyes sharp. "What are you doing here?"

Heronkit opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He had been spying on his sick Clanmates, but he couldn't tell his father that, could he? Fear still made his chest pound, and he fought to keep his fur from prickling uncomfortably. Badgertail's eyes widened a smidgen. "You're not sick, are you?"

Heronkit shook his head, trying to banish the frightening images from his mind. "No, Badgertail. I was just checking on the others."

Badgertail's eyes softened, sympathy lightening his gaze. He opened his mouth to respond, but as he took an in-breath, he sneezed. Immediately, the thoughts filled his head once more. Sickness claiming every cat in his family, starting with his father. Badgertail lashed his tail, shaking himself. "I'm fine," he grunted reassuringly. "You don't have to be sick to sneeze, you know."

Heronkit whimpered, not entirely convinced. "But what if you've got Greencough too?"

Badgertail shook his head. "I'm just tired, son. I've been working very hard lately."

"Which makes you weaker," said a voice from behind. Icebreath had joined, them, her kits clustered around her. "You've been overworking yourself. Why don't you get some rest?"

He cocked his head, tired eyes looking from one kit's face to the next. "I would," he said at last, "But I can't. Reedstar's ill, and the Clan needs someone to look after it."

The hurt was clearly visible in Icebreath's eyes. "The Clan needs you, yes. _We_ need you, _I_ need you, everyone needs you…to stay healthy." Her voice softened as she looked closer at him. "You do look tired. Please get some rest."

Badgertail hesitated, his eyes coming to rest on Otterkit's. Heronkit felt a thrill of jealousy run through him. Otterkit might have had mottled brown fur- so different from their father's –but he had his daddy's build. If only Heronkit could look like his father, then maybe Badgertail would pay more attention to him.

"You're right," he conceded after a brief pause. "But wake me if anything happens. And I mean _anything_. I may be tired, but I am the Clan deputy."

He reached down and nuzzled each of his kits. When he reached Heronkit, his deep purr rumbled through Heronkit's tiny frame. He buried his nose into his father's neck quickly before his father wandered over to the warriors' den situated in the tangle of reeds closest to the nursery. Heronkit watched him go, his tail drooping. What would he do if his father got sick? His heart twisted mercilessly as thoughts raced across his head, visions of his family falling ill again coming faster and stronger. RiverClan could not survive long if both its leader and deputy got sick.

Heronkit wandered aimlessly toward the elder's den. If he ever wanted to get these sick twisted thoughts from his head, he'd need the rest the elder's den offered. On his way in, however, he was pushed back by Orangeleaf.

"Hey!" he exclaimed indignantly.

The medicine cat didn't even look somewhat bashful. "No entry," he said sternly.

"Why ever not?" Heronkit asked, his blood freezing as he looked into Orangeleaf's worried eyes.

The tabby bowed his head, defeat so obvious in posture, Heronkit thought for a moment that maybe he wouldn't even answer. Finally, in a voice softer than a breath, Orangeleaf murmured, "If I don't get catmint soon, every cat in the Clan is going to die."

Heronkit backed away from him, his tail fluffed out to nearly twice its size, even stuck between his legs as it was. He twisted without bothering to answer and raced away. His long legs carried him as fast as he could muster across the camp. As he passed the nursery, Ivykit and Snowkit tumbled out, eyes wide with laughter. "Hey Heronkit!" one of them called to him. "Come check out the nests we made for everyone in the apprentice's den!"

Heronkit felt like his sisters' indignation at his lack of response fueled him to move faster. He pressed lower into the ground and raced as fast as he could until he felt like he was flying. Going as fast as he was, he didn't notice the other figure until he had nearly swallowed a mouthful of snow white fur.

"Heronkit? Where are you going so fast?" he heard his mother's voice, so soft and so close, that he trembled, all of his fear spilling over.

"The sick cats and dad's coughing and there's no one in the camp and Orangeleaf, he said, he said!" he began, everything coming out at once. He didn't stop, almost biting his mother's tail as she swept it over his mouth to quiet him.

"Hush. Tell me slowly. What happened?"

The gray kit looked into his mother's eyes, trying to relax. He remembered what she herself had said about Snowfreckle. His own kin had died before. It could happen again. The panic that had been tightening his chest made him start to shake too. What was happening to his body? Why was he unable to talk?

Icebreath's voice broke into his meltdown. It was so smooth, so serious, that he instantly caught his breath. His pricking fur relaxed on his shoulder. "It-it was Orangeleaf." At those words, his mother's deep blue eyes widened into twin pools. Her tail fluffed out, and she lashed it. Heronkit could not say that he was very sociable. He was just a normal tomkit getting ready for his apprenticeship in a Clan that very much needed him. Yet even he would have to be a mousebrain not to see the instant fury of his mother's reaction. What had she heard in those three words to anger her so? His mind, already fizzled with panic, could not think clearly enough to work it out, and something told him asking would be a very bad idea. "He told me that the Clan is going to die."

Icebreath's ears drew back on her head, combining with her already furious state to make her rather formidable. "How _dare_ he say that to you?! You are just a kit after all." Heronkit was too emotionally drained to feel offended. "Don't you worry, Heronkit. The Clan is _not_ going to die. I'll talk to Orangeleaf, you'll see. Now why don't you go back to the den and get some rest?"

Heronkit dipped his head to his mother and padded toward the nursery and his warm nest. Once there, he curled up into a ball intending to thoroughly sleep his troubles away. Of course, he didn't account for his five siblings.

"What's going on?" Snowkit asked the moment he put his head on his paws. Sighing, he sat up and began to groom himself.

Ivykit marched into the nursery. "Yeah," she demanded. "Why didn't you answer us before?"

"And why is Icebreath going to the medicine den?" The fear was plain in Sablekit's voice. Not wanting his siblings to panic, Heronkit repeated his story to them. He tried not to show them how unsettled he'd been, but he couldn't quite stop his voice from shaking when he told them exactly what Orangeleaf had said to him.

The others watched him intently. After he was done, he fell into his nest, feeling a bit queasy after his speech and wanting only to rest. His siblings, however, looked worried. "Orangeleaf needs me," Kestrelkit whined. "He needs me to go collect catmint for him and here I am trapped in the nursery!"

"Rubbish," Snowkit said. "No offence, Kestrelkit, but you're just a kit. Orangeleaf is a trained Medicine cat! If Orangeleaf can't find catmint, you sure can't."

Sablekit scoffed. "Very encouraging, Snowkit! I'm sure Kestrelkit will do fine."

"But she's right, though," Ivykit said. "Orangeleaf is trained, and Kestrelkit isn't. Sure, she might be able to help him, but she couldn't save the Clan. This isn't her fault."

Snowkit spat. "I never said it was!" But Kestrelkit was looking at Ivykit with appreciation. Heronkit blinked. Not for the first time, his sister had said exactly the right thing.

Lichenheart spoke suddenly from the corner, "Orangeleaf said there was no hope for the Clan?" Her eyes were slightly wild, and her tail wrapped protectively around her kits. Heronkit's ears drew back.

"Not exactly. He said he needs catmint."

Lichenheart began to sat up as Icebreath entered. "Lay down," the older queen ordered her quietly. "You don't want to hurt them."

She turned and looked at her kits, motioning for them to sit down. Her eyes were not as dark as that first day when Creekripple had joined the Clan, but there was something about them that made Heronkit pause. She was not normally so high strung. Something must have really spooked her.

"Listen kits," she said quietly. "Orangeleaf was just panicking. I have spoken with him, and he agreed that the Clan will be just fine. He apologized for his behavior. Normally, he would have come and told you himself, but he is working very hard to get this Clan in order."

Kestrelkit opened her mouth to speak, but Icebreath raised her tail for silence before she could.

"I have also spoken with Reedstar. She wants to make you apprentices before the next Gathering."

The cheering was uproarious. Snowkit and Ivykit began to sing, "We're becoming apprentices!" again and again. Sablekit and Kestrelkit twined tails, purring and cheering. Heronkit and Otterkit banged heads, yelping loudly as they did so. In the corner, Lichenheart's three kits sat up and watched the others with wide, frightened eyes. Lichenheart hissed at them, but the thing that really got their attention was Icebreath.

"Quiet!" she snapped, and all six kits stopped what they were doing and sat obediently in front of her. "Do you think this is appropriate behavior of an apprentice? Falconpaw and Robinpaw didn't act like this! You settle yourselves or I shall tell Reedstar the ceremony will have to wait!"

The kits sat smartly before her. "Sorry, Icebreath," Snowkit said breathlessly. Their mother's deep blue eyes relaxed as she looked at her kits. A deep rumble began in her throat, and for a moment Heronkit thought she was growling at them. He blinked warmly as he realized she was purring.

"Now, now," she said, softer this time. "You have a right to be excited, but don't get carried away. Why don't you go make yourselves nests in the apprentice's den for tomorrow night? I suppose you'll be working hard tomorrow."

Heronkit sat up straighter. "Our ceremony is tonight?"

But his mother shook her head. "First thing tomorrow morning. Reedstar needs her rest."

With their mother's encouragement, the kits made their way to the apprentice's den to make nests for themselves. As they approached the den, however, Kestrelkit fell behind. One by one, her siblings stopped to look around for her. "Aren't you coming?" Snowkit asked, though it really wasn't a question. In fact, it was more like stalling. Each of the kits knew that, as a medicine cat apprentice, Kestrelkit would be sleeping in the medicine den. None of them wanted to admit that, even though they'd be living in the same camp still, no longer would the six siblings share nests or sleep together. In fact, they'd probably be doing different duties with their different mentors. Heronkit still prayed that his father was his mentor, but he knew inwardly that by becoming an apprentice, he would be leaving a part of himself behind. It was bittersweet, really.

"I won't have a nest in there," Kestrelkit said, her voice as wistful as Heronkit felt. "I'll be in the Medicine den."

Ivykit looked thoughtful. "You can't go in there now; everybody's sick! Why don't you come help us make our nests?"

Kestrelkit looked relieved. "Okay!"

Although that bought the siblings a little more time together, Heronkit felt as if this night- their last night in the nursery –marked the end of something important. From this day on, Kestrelkit would be held in high respect, and probably wouldn't have time to worry about dainty things like building nests for her siblings.

That didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the time while they had it.

The fluffy kits paraded into the apprentice's den and looked around. It was spacious compared to the nursery, and colder too. "The walls are thinner," explained a weary voice. Heronkit glanced over into the one used nest near the center of the den: Falconpaw was watching them with tired eyes. "It's colder at night, but you get used to it." His expression was still dazzled. "Besides, now that you all are going to be apprentices, it'll be warmer here."

Heronkit felt a sympathetic ache for the striped tabby. While he would be losing Kestrelkit to her medicine cat duties, he would still have four siblings to curl up with at night. Falconpaw only had one, and she was very sick in the medicine den.

The striped tabby looked very tired as he rose and stretched. "Where are you going?" Snowkit asked him as he padded toward the entrance of the den.

He shrugged. "Now that I'm awake, I might as well be useful." Snowkit drew her ears back, but Falconpaw interrupted her before she could say anything. "It's really a good thing you guys came along. I would have slept the rest of the day away."

As he walked past, his coarse fur brushed against Heronkit's own, soft kitten fur. He shuddered at the feel of it. The difference between their fur was striking. Heronkit and his littermates were well kept, groomed by their mother every day. Falconpaw, however, was uncared for now that his parents and littermate were sick. He was the only apprentice still working, doing all of the apprentices' chores by himself. The hard work in the coming days was sure to roughen Heronkit and his siblings up too. Falconpaw must be pleased that the six of them were going to be helping out.

"Kits!" called their mother's familiar voice. Heronkit raced out to her along with his siblings, his fur prickling. Tonight would be his last night sharing a nest with her. Her long white hair was fluffed up against the cold. "It's time to sleep now, little ones."

"We're not little ones!" Snowkit argued.

"Yeah," Ivykit added. "After tomorrow, we'll be apprentices, sleeping in our own nests and taking care of the Clan!"

Icebreath watched Ivykit carefully, as if there was more to what Ivykit meant than what she'd said. Perhaps there was. Heronkit supposed he'd just have to wait to find out.

"To me, you will always be my little ones."


	8. Chapter 6

Heronkit stood in a line with his siblings. _Today's the big day_ , he reminded himself as the Clan slowly gathered. No one had called a summons, but it seemed the Clan already knew about the ceremony and was gathering anyway. Not everyone gathered. The cats in the medicine den hadn't come out for the ceremony. Over night, Lionfish had healed fairly well, and was sitting at the opening of the medicine den, her eyes wide and clear, but exhaustion clear on her face. Orangeleaf, rather than sit beside her, had hesitatingly stepped forward to sit amongst his Clanmates. Heronkit knew that he must be ill at ease, has everyone in the Clan knew just how sick some of his patients were. Tanglefur in particular had caught this plague very badly.

It was comforting, though, to see Lionfish up and about. Her overnight recovery was a symbol of hope for the Clan. If she could get better as quickly, the others could too.

Heronkit sat up tall. Today, he was well groomed, his fur sleek and his mind sharp. He watched as the cats slowly gathered around himself and his siblings, each one looking exhausted. A sharp prick of discomfort filled him. Was this how life was going to be from now on? Exhaustion ever creeping up on him as he fought for a dying Clan? He watched his mother and father pad out of the warrior's den together, and his unease strengthened. Badgertail looked very tired. His eyes were glazed, his breath coming in short gasps. He leaned against his mate as they crossed the clearing to sit beside their many kits. Heronkit winced as his father brushed past him. The deputy was very warm, heat spilling onto his son as he passed.

Fear crept up Heronkit's spine. Was Badgertail getting sick? He looked at his mother for some signal, some sign of hope, but saw only concern as she watched her mate settle beside her. This couldn't be happening. The Clan couldn't be losing everyone at once.

Before he could move or even voice his fears to his siblings, Reedstar appeared out of her den and leapt up to begin the ceremony. Her eyes were not glazed, though there was snot crusted on her nose. Otherwise, one could hardly tell she had been sick.

"RiverClan," she began, her voice booming. "Today, we celebrate a very special event. Today, RiverClan has a reason to celebrate. I know this leafbare has been particularly hard on us all, and that we have been struggling to keep up with our work. However, tonight, RiverClan will rest easier because today, we are naming six new apprentices."

She paused, her eyes watching their six faces before she continued. "When Icebreath had her kits, we were all stunned by how many there were. We were all very worried for Icebreath's health, as raising six kits is no easy task. But even then, we knew we had been blessed. StarClan honored Icebreath by bringing us a big litter of strong, healthy kits to look after their Clan. Today, we call upon StarClan to recognize this gift to RiverClan, and help each kit on his or her way to becoming whatever they choose to be, and watch over each individual as he or she takes their place in the Clan. Today, we name these six kits apprentices."

She stepped forward and indicated Kestrelkit first. "Kestrelkit," she said, her voice solemn now. The small gray cat stepped forward, positively quivering as she faced the Clan. "From this moment on, you shall be known as Kestrelpaw."

At the sound of her new name, Kestrelpaw stopped quivering. Her eyes brightened, her face settling. She had done no more than receive a new name, and yet, his sister was already changing.

"Orangeleaf, you are a wise and hard-working medicine cat. Pass on these qualities to your new apprentice, Kestrelpaw."

The burly orange tabby stepped forward, away from his patient at the medicine den and touched noses with Heronkit's sister. Even now, as he watched Kestrelpaw pad away from his close-knit family, he felt a twinge of unfamiliarity. It was as if Kestrelpaw suddenly belonged to a different family, or as if they had never been siblings. This time, he knew it wasn't just the new name that made him feel that way. For the first time, the importance of this ceremony struck him. This was really happening. He and his siblings were really growing up.

Reedstar kept going with the ceremony, not noticing Heronkit's slight discomfort at his sister's absence. Next, she turned to his sister. "Snowkit. From this moment on, you shall be known as Snowpaw."

Snowpaw stepped forward. Unlike Kestrelpaw, Snowpaw was not shaking, or even looked nervous. Heronkit was not surprised by her confidence. Snowpaw had always known her place in the Clan.

"Birchfoot," Reedstar continued amid gasps of shock. "I know that you are young, but the Clan needs you now more than ever before. You have proven yourself since becoming a warrior as strong, and confident. Share these qualities with your new apprentice, Snowpaw."

Even Heronkit was surprised by her decision. Birchfoot had only just become a warrior. How could he be ready for his first apprentice already? The rest of the Clan seemed to be thinking along those lines. He could see stony faces as the young warrior touched noses with Snowpaw, and lead her to join the rest of the Clan. Close as he was, Heronkit's ears pricked as he heard Birchfoot murmur quietly to his sister, "I'll do my best, I promise." Perhaps Birchfoot wouldn't be that bad a choice after all.

Reedstar waited quietly until the Clan calmed down again. Although everyone seemed agitated by her choice, no one would dare argue with the Clan leader. It didn't take long for everyone to revert their attention on the waiting kits again.

"Otterkit, from this moment on, you shall be known as Otterpaw."

Otterpaw stepped forward, head high. Heronkit jealously watched his brother's tail curl in delight.

"Petalcloud," she called forth the young warrior. Heronkit's heart sank as he saw the pattern. The youngest warriors were being chosen. But that also meant that Otterpaw wasn't getting Badgertail, which was exactly who Heronkit wanted as his mentor. He watched his brother's eyes fill, instead of with disappointment, but with nervousness as his new mentor stepped toward him. They touched noses, and moved off to join the rest of the Clan.

"Heronkit." The sound of his name jolted him. Unexpectedly nervous, he stepped forward and faced the Clan. "From this moment on, you shall be known as Heronpaw."

His new name rang around the clearing, echoing back emptily to him. The newly named Heronpaw looked at each tired face, wondering which of his Clanmates would be his mentor. The second before Reedstar spoke, hope filled him. _Oh please StarClan, be Badgertail!_

"Mallowtail."

_No!_ internally, he wailed as the dark brown she-cat stepped forward and faced him. His pelt rippled uneasily as he looked into her amber eyes. If there was any cat he did not want to be his mentor, it was this one. Privately, he had thought that Creekripple shouldn't have joined the Clan. But Mallowtail was what Icebreath called a "bleeding heart". She would always extend a helping hand, even when it could bring potential harm to her Clanmates.

"You are a considerate, and noble. Pass these skills onto Heronpaw, as Badgertail has passed them to you."

That last part made Heronpaw double take. Badgertail had been Mallowtail's mentor? She couldn't be all that bad if his own father had taught her. Still silently fuming, he reached out to touch noses with her. She did not have any warm words for him, just a quietly stern, "Come on, then," and lead him across the clearing to sit and watch the rest of the ceremony with the Clan.

He could see Icebreath and Badgertail sitting together, eyes full of pride. Heronpaw shivered as he realized that his father was leaning on his mother for support.

"Sablekit, from this moment on, you shall be known as Sablepaw." Sablepaw gave a little squeak at the sound of her new name. Reedstar smiled indulgently as a gentle chuckle filed around the Clan. "Splashcloud, you are a strong and bold warrior. Teach these qualities to Sablepaw on her journey to becoming a warrior."

Splashcloud stepped forward, muscles rippling under his gleaming orange coat. When it came to mentors, Sablepaw could not have been teamed up with anyone so completely different than herself. She was shy, and hardly ever spoke out of turn, while Splashcloud was acting like a senior warrior already. He was just as Reedstar had described him: bold and strong. Perhaps, under his influence, Sablepaw would become bold and strong too.

_Is that what she was thinking of pairing Mallowtail with me?_ He thought quietly. After all, what did he have in common with her? He glanced sidelong at his mentor. She was watching the Clan quietly, her eyes filled with respect. Was Reedstar hoping to change him by pairing him with her? And did the Clan really think he wasn't already "confident" or "noble"?

Now Ivykit was the last remaining kit. She stood with her head high, looking proud as she waited her turn. There were few choices left for potential mentors for her, Heronpaw thought. The Clan was running thin. Perhaps it would be Creekripple. Heronpaw shuddered at the thought of that _Sky_ Clan tom teaching his sister.

"Ivykit, from this moment on, you shall be known as Ivypaw." Heronpaw craned his neck to try and spy the SkyClan warrior. Creekripple was sitting on the other side of Applefur. He was watching Ivypaw intently, as if hungry for his own apprentice. Heronpaw grimaced. "Sandpelt," Reedstar's voice shook him out of his reverie. He snapped his attention back up to what was happening up front. "You have proven time and time again to be an exceptionally gifted warrior. Pass these qualities on to Ivypaw, your new apprentice."

There were cheers as the last apprentice touched her nose to her new mentor. Heronpaw felt relieved. It made sense that Sandpelt should be his sister's mentor. The more he thought about it, the more it should have been obvious from the beginning. No way was that SkyClan cat going to fit in here in RiverClan. He honestly didn't know what Reedstar was even thinking, allowing him to stay.

Suddenly, a sharp prod to his side knocked him off his feet. He glanced up to see Mallowtail looming over him. "Great," she said airily. "Now that I have your attention, would you like to answer my question?"

Heronpaw glanced around and realized the Clan was splitting up. Kestrelpaw and Orangeleaf had already vanished into the medicine den along with Lionfish. Longwhisker was heading a patrol with Mintpool, Creekripple, and Falconpaw. Sandpelt and Birchfoot were padding out with Ivypaw and Snowpaw- to where, Heronpaw had no clue. Icebreath was walking Badgertail over to the warriors' den, perhaps to re-establish herself a nest there. Sablepaw, Otterpaw, and their mentors had already vanished. Heronpaw felt very disconnected from his family for the first time. And already he was screwing up his training. Here Mallowtail was talking to him, and he hadn't even known what she'd said.

"Heronpaw!" she snapped. "When are you gonna start listening?"

Oops. She must've spoken again. He looked her right in the eye this time and she groaned. "Get on your feet before you get trampled!"

Heronpaw scrambled to his paws and tried to look respectful. "Sorry," he muttered. Mallowtail's eyes lightened.

"Don't worry about your father. Badgertail's a strong cat. He'll pull through."

Why did she sound as if Badgertail was really ill? Heronpaw glanced up at her, trying not to let his anger through. Everyone was already acting like Badgertail was sick with Greencough. But Heronpaw knew better. If Badgertail was really as sick as the others, he'd be in the medicine den. Besides, StarClan wouldn't curse RiverClan with a sick leader _and_ a sick deputy.

"What are we doing today, Mallowtail?" he asked, trying not to sound eager. He saw her eyes brighten.

"Well, I thought we'd start with cleaning out some of the dens."

Heronpaw's excitement immediately faded. Cleaning out dens? He'd done that a million times as a kit. Why couldn't they be doing something more exciting, like hunting, or a border patrol? His emotions must have been showing on his face, for Mallowtail narrowed her eyes and answered his internal questions.

"I know you'd rather be doing something different, but tonight we're celebrating, and the camp needs to be clean. You don't think this is an unimportant task, do you?" Heronpaw didn't answer. Cleaning the camp wasn't unimportant, but couldn't anyone else do it? Mallowtail's eyes grew sterner. "Need I remind you that the Clan has taken care of you since the moment you were born? You owe them at least this much."

Heronpaw sighed. Obviously, there was no way he was going to change his mentor's mind. The least he could do was not brood about it. "All right," he said, trying to sound more cheerful. "Where shall we start?"

Mallowtail brightened. "I thought we'd start with the elders' den and then move to the warriors' den. What do you think?"

She was leaving an open question, as though genuinely interested in his opinion. Heronpaw frowned, trying to think. He thought it sounded like a good idea, but there was something that just didn't make sense. "Wouldn't it be easier to clean out the warriors' den while most of the warriors are out of camp?"

Mallowtail tilted her head, as if she were thinking. "You know, you're right," she said after a moment. "We'll start with the warriors' den, then."

Heronpaw thought that Mallowtail had done that on purpose, almost like a test for him. He had no idea why she would do that, though. If she had already _known_ to do the warriors' den first, why was she asking him to point it out? Didn't she think he'd already know that?

They set to work. Somehow, cleaning out dens was a lot harder than it had been when he was kit. Never before had Heronpaw dealt with so much moss! He clawed and clawed until his paws hurt, carrying loads of it out of the camp and into the forest to be dumped. For his second time really being out of the camp, it was not a very exciting journey. He looked longingly into the damp reeds, but couldn't see very far. Perhaps he would get a chance to go out later, if Mallowtail would let him.

Heronpaw noticed when he was done cleaning that not one cat said "thank you", not even Seabreeze the lone elder. The closest he got was when Owlbeak asked him to leave him while he slept. Otherwise, hardly any cat spoke to him at all. His frown deepened as the day went on. Why didn't the Clan seem to like him anymore? They had surely liked him at a kit. But as an apprentice, it felt like they were going out of their way to dislike him.

That night's celebration came quicker than Heronpaw had thought it would. He had finished cleaning out dens with Mallowtail, who dismissed him with a wave of her tail and trotted over to join Applefur and Rippleclaw. Heronpaw sat down, wondering where his siblings were. He couldn't see any of them in the camp. His frown deepened. It looked like all of them had gotten to go out, except for him.

"Why the long face?" said a voice behind him. He whirled around to see Icebreath padding toward him. She stopped a few feet away and sat with her tail wrapped around her paws, concern emanating from her. Heronpaw wasn't sure how to respond. He wanted to confide in his mother, but he also wanted to act like an apprentice should and not like a kit should. His mother seemed to sense his hesitation, and sighed. "Even warriors need someone to confide in, Heronpaw. My job when you were a kit was to protect you. Now that you're supposed to protect yourself, it's my job to be that someone you can confide in."

Heronpaw took a deep breath. "It's just that, no one in the Clan really seems to like me now that I'm an apprentice. All anyone did today was order me around and ignore me."

Icebreath smiled knowingly. "You have just accepted a new role in the Clan, and it's a role you're just starting to understand. Apprentices work very hard. They take the brunt of the work and receive very little in return. But throughout apprenticeship, this kind of behavior is what ultimately teaches apprentices how to be warriors. It's sort of bittersweet, being an apprentice." Heronpaw opened his mouth to say something, but Icebreath cut him off. "Do not speak. It is no longer your place in the Clan to speak out. Now is your time to learn. Know this: while apprenticeship will be hard, and often you will wonder if others like you, you have warriorship to look forward to, not so long in the future as you think."

She padded away, leaving Heronpaw more confused than ever. The idea that apprentices worked so hard and received very little credit for it made him shudder. Would he ever be recognized for his good skill? Icebreath had been right about one thing, though. He always would have warriorship to look forward to. Maybe not tomorrow, or the next day, but one day, he'd be a warrior.

Paws thrummed behind him and he turned to see Ivypaw racing toward him. Surely they were going to collide! He braced himself for impact, but it was unnecessary. Ivypaw skidded to a half a few pawsteps from him and immediately burst into speech.

"That was so great! Sandpelt showed me the WindClan border, across the gorge. And then we marked the border and made our way back." Her eyes were unusually bright as she leaned forward. "We saw a WindClan patrol, but we didn't stop and talk to them. There were so many! Two big toms and three smaller cats. I think one of them might have been an apprentice too, but I don't know." Her eyes turned more thoughtful. "Even the bigger cats looked small, though. It was really weird. Do you think WindClan might be starving?"

"No way," Heronpaw answered her, feeling a little overwhelmed. "WindClan are just small cats in general."

As Ivypaw had been talking, their other siblings had walked over. "Heronpaw, Ivypaw," said Otterpaw haughtily. "How was training?"

"Good!" Ivypaw began her story yet again to Otterpaw. Sablepaw nudged Heronpaw with her head.

"How was your day, Heronpaw?" Sablepaw was watching him carefully.

Heronpaw shrugged. "As well as it could have been, I guess. Mallowtail had me clean the camp in preparation. What did you do?"

Sablepaw tilted her head, ears twitching. "Nothing important. Mostly he made me walk a lot. He said he was showing me the territory, but he talked about how training was gonna go."

She didn't sound excited, but even that would have been preferable to what Heronpaw had endured. By now, Ivypaw was finished repeating her story. Otterpaw flexed his claws. "Petalcloud took me battle training with Birchfoot and Snowpaw!"

Heronpaw thought this was kind of extreme. Today was their first day as apprentices. Shouldn't they do simpler tasks? Yet Otterpaw seemed very happy about it. He was standing with his head tall. _At least he didn't clean nests all day!_

That meant the only sibling unaccounted for was Kestrelpaw. As the thought crossed his mind, he saw her pad from the medicine den with a huge wad of moss trailing behind her. Sympathy welled in Heronpaw's chest as he watched her go. All day, he had done exactly the same thing, only the nests she were cleaning were dirty from sick cats. As he watched, Lionfish padded out after her, carrying more dirty moss. At least she had a warrior to help her. She didn't have to do it entirely on her own.

When she padded back into camp, she raced across the way to stand with her siblings. "I can't stay long," she said in a rush. "I have work to do. But I wanted to know how your first days as apprentices went."

"Great!" Ivypaw answered before anyone else. "I got to see WindClan warriors."

Kestrelpaw nodded impressively as Sablepaw spoke. "Splashcloud showed me the territory. It was fun."

Otterpaw lifted his tail, indicating Snowpaw and himself. "We had so much fun! Didn't we Snowpaw? Battle training!"

Heronpaw nodded, trying to smile and look happy. "Yeah. I helped Mallowtail out."

"Cleaning dens!" Otterpaw snorted. Heronpaw lashed his tail, determined to stay positive.

"Better than nothing. At least I got to help."

Kestrelpaw smiled at his words. "Glad to know you're all having fun! Orangeleaf has me sorting herbs. He says it will help me remember them later."

"Until then," Otterpaw laughed. "Don't use them on me."

Their gray sister's eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh don't worry. I know _exactly_ which herbs to use on you guys!" She ruffled her fur vigorously, giggling with them. "I'd better be getting back. See you guys!" And she trotted away to the medicine den.

"Yeah, I'm beat," Ivypaw added. "Sandpelt said I could eat when Longwhisker's patrol returned, and it looks like it has." She indicated the fresh-kill pile, larger than it had been in moons. Longwhisker and the others were sitting beside it, looking tired but pleased. Heronpaw frowned as his eyes met Creekripple's. The ex-SkyClan warrior was staring at the five littermates as though transfixed. His morning suspicions returned to him in a flash. He did not like the look in the warrior's green eyes. What was his problem? The brown warrior seemed to be fitting in so well here, and Reedstar was allowing him to lead patrols. Why was he so interested in a bunch of young apprentices?


	9. Chapter 7

The next day, Heronpaw awoke with a start. Why was he not in the nest he shared with his siblings in the nursery? Where was Icebreath? It took a long moment for him to remember that he was an apprentice now. He had his own nest in the apprentices' den, which explained why it was so cold! At first, he thought it was the cold that had woken him, but then another tug on his tail made him look back. "Ivypaw, get off- " he cut off as he realized it was not Ivypaw tugging on his tail.

It was Mallowtail. "Get up," she said briskly. "Today we're starting your training."

Heronpaw stretched, jumping up and following her into the clearing. Excitement filled him. Today was going to be different that his training before! Today, he would be leaving the camp, he just _knew_ it.

"What are we doing?" Eager to get started, his voice cracked. To cover his squeaky mess-up, he yawned really big.

Mallowtail watched with narrowed eyes. "We're going to go and fetch some warm moss for Seabreeze."

Heronpaw's heart sank. This was not the 'training' he would have chosen for himself. "Fetching moss?" he asked, trying to hide his disappointment.

His mentor was not to be deceived. "Yes. Specifically warm moss. Don't you think, after all the seasons of service Seabreeze has put into the Clan, that she deserves warm moss? Need I remind you that she is the only elder? It probably gets very cold in her nest at night. She's not as young as she used to be."

Heronpaw dipped his head and followed as Mallowtail took the lead. To his surprise, she lead him toward one of the camp entrances, where they wove their way between the reeds until they were standing outside the camp. Heronpaw had not been on this side of the camp wall in a long time. Frost rose off the path before him as the sun was just beginning to rise over the distant hills. He pricked his ears at the sound of the river, sloshing through thick chunks of ice not that far from where he was standing. The RiverClan camp was set on the river. If the river wasn't flowing the way it should, there was a sense of being lost throughout the camp.

Mallowtail was waiting for him. Heronpaw trotted up to where she was waiting at the top of the hill. He turned around and looked back at the camp. Surprise struck him as he realized how small the camp really was. He could see every corner of it from above, every space where the Clan made their home. How big it had seemed in his kit-days! Even his earliest venture outside camp could not have prepared him for this.

"Where are we going?" he asked her quietly as they set off through the territory together.

The mottled brown warrior flicked her ears. "We're going to the Sunningrocks on the edge of our territory."

Heronpaw felt confused. "Sunningrocks? I thought that belonged to ThunderClan."

But Mallowtail shook her head. "No, it doesn't. Sunningrocks is right on the ThunderClan border, but on our land. ThunderClan certainly likes to think they're theirs, though." Her voice had a wiry edge to it that made Heronpaw shiver. He had never heard Mallowtail sound as vicious before. For the first time, she sounded scary.

Heronpaw glanced around as they followed the river. The reeds were tall, as always. Underfoot, he could feel the frozen dirt crunch against his soft pads. The sun was just reaching over the horizon, touching the open plain and making it shine brightly green, as they turned abruptly and made their way down the plain and into the reedbed beside the river.

"Do you smell that?" Mallowtail asked. On the air was a hint of a musky odor, containing just a hint of the leaves that had long since fallen. Heronpaw wrinkled his nose against the unfamiliar scent. Beside him, Mallowtail chuckled at his reaction. "That's ThunderClan."

Heronpaw glanced up at her. "That's ThunderClan scent?"

She nodded, her eyes raking the land across the river. "Those tumbled rocks there are Sunningrocks." She indicated the space just across the river from there, where smooth gray stones rose from the river and spilled out onto the land. Covering the tips of these topmost rocks, he could see a haze of fine moss. The sun, raising over the horizon tickled first these bunches of moss, making them glitter in the morning light. Even from this distance, he could see that it was very soft.

Heronpaw felt rooted to the ground beneath him as he stared across the glassy river to the sunlit stones. Wide as ever, the river separated him from his goal. Even without it, he couldn't have run over the moss if he had wanted to. The stench of ThunderClan wafted strong at this spot, pungent on the tip of his tongue as he inhaled sharply.

"We need to get that moss," Mallowtail's honey-sweet alto jolted him from his thoughts.

As he shook his reverie, he thought about what she'd said. "But Mallowtail, we can't. We'd have to cross the river."

"Yeah?" He tried to ignore her interruption for now.

"And there's ThunderClan scent."

Mallowtail gave him a side-smirk. "We're _River_ Clan cats. Crossing the river will be easy. As for the ThunderClan scent…Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan, a lesson that ThunderClan seems to have trouble remembering. We're not crossing the border by gathering that moss, so we should be fine."

Heronpaw followed her down the water's edge, his eyes taking in its smooth surface. "How are we gonna cross?" It was a stupid question. He already knew the answer. Somehow, after all his life waiting for this moment, he didn't want to hear that it was finally upon him. He was unprepared for what was coming, and was afraid.

"We're going to swim, of course." Mallowtail said it as though it should have been obvious. "That's how we cross the river in RiverClan." Her steady voice was calming as she continued, taking some of the nerve out of the situation. "Now, I know that you haven't swum before, so this will be an experience for you. When you get in the water, keep your head above the water. Move your paws like this. " She reared up on her hind legs and churned her paws in the air, demonstrating. "Also kick your back paws. The movement in your front legs is to keep your head afloat. It is very important that you don't let your head get wet. Kicking your back legs like that propels you and steers you. Since you're only crossing, you only need to worry about staying in a straight line."

Her eyes were reassuring, as set as the stones across the way from them. "I will stay downriver of you, in case anything should go wrong. The water will be cold, so move quick. Are you ready?"

Just before he plunged into the icy cold water, Heronpaw had a fleeting curiosity if it would be appropriate to say "no" in response to her question. Then he was up to his shoulders in the water and he could think of little else but the cold. _Why_ were they swimming in the dead of winter? He could see little chunks of ice caked to the near bank, just on either side of him. Surely swimming in this water was dangerous?

The water touched his lips and Heronpaw thought he might panic. _Mallowtail said to keep her head above the water!_ He strained his neck upward to avoid having anymore of the dangerously cold stuff on his face.

"Remember to paddle with your front legs," Mallowtail's soothing voice resounded beside him in the water. He wanted so badly to turn and see how she was doing it, but he couldn't. Desperate, he churned the water with his front paws, as if he were trying to run fast across the territory- and found that he was able to keep his head above the water. Determined now that he'd managed one success, he began to kick with his back paws. To his immense surprise, he began to push through the water, easy as walking.

_I'm doing it!_ His chest swelled with pride as he thought. _I'll be across in no time!_

Not long after, however, his legs began to ache with the effort, and long since had his paws gone numb. Pain seared his chest with each frigid breath. _If I don't get there quicker, I think I'll lose my tail completely!_ But the shore seemed no closer.

Finally, he gave one giant heave and felt his paws meet land. He dragged himself heavily onto shore, his fur dripping and feeling chilled to the bone. Despite the cold, he felt a shred of pride fill him from head to tail tip. He had swum across the river.

"Congratulations," Mallowtail's weary voice resounded beside him. "You did it."

He could tell, though he didn't know how, that something had changed in that swim across the river. No longer would his training be kitty play. Now, they were getting serious.

"Come here," she ordered him. "We need to share tongues on the warm rocks to keep our bodies warm. Otherwise, we'll freeze to death."

Heronpaw eager pressed against her as they began the simple ritual. He noticed that as she washed his fur, she would always brush it the wrong way. To this, she offered no explanation. Glancing her a questioning look, he began to do the same back. He noticed her eyes glint with appreciation, but otherwise, no response.

Once they were done cleaning all the frigid water off one another, they sat on the warm rock and tried to keep as warm as possible. Heronpaw was surprised at how much better they had gone than he'd originally thought. _All until the swim back,_ he thought darkly. _I'll have moss to carry then._

Until then, he'd have to try not to think about it.

At that point, Mallowtail ordered Heronpaw to stay put and began to pad around the rocks, remarking the border. Despite being eager to see the ThunderClan border up close, he was content to lay and keep warm. All the elders tales were true. Sunningrocks was warm. The sun was just approaching Sunhigh when Mallowtail returned, her fur bristled.

"ThunderClan haven't remarked the border in ages," she spat angrily. "There aren't even tracks in the snow to show they tried."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Heronpaw ventured. "We can hunt there and they wouldn't know the difference?"

Mallowtail shook her head. "Surely they'd have thought of that. Why aren't they watching our border along Sunningrocks?" Heronpaw wasn't sure whether to answer her question or not, and had just decided not to when she answered it herself. "They think we're weak. They must know that Reedstar is sick and don't think we're threatening enough to fight."

"Maybe they just don't care about the border anymore," Heronpaw pointed out lightly. He had meant it to be reassuring, but Mallowtail froze, her eyes darkening. He wasn't sure what had brought that on; if ThunderClan really didn't care about the border, couldn't RiverClan take more territory? "What?"

Mallowtail shook her head. "No time to explain. Gather the moss, quickly."

Heronpaw dashed up the rocks, careful not to trip. Once he had scraped what looked like enough moss to make a comfortable nest, he bundled it all carefully, and bounded down the rocks in easy strides. He padded to the riverside, but Mallowtail stopped him.

"We're not swimming this time. It's too slow. We'll take the stepping stones down river."

Heronpaw swished his tail, both impressed and annoyed. No need for all the panic this morning, he thought wearily. They could have just taken the stepping stones.

They raced downriver and across the stepping stones quickly and quietly. Then they began running toward the camp, faster than ever before, until they were there in almost no time. Heronpaw was out of breath and shaken- he had not eaten since yesterday –and altogether relieved by the time they pushed their way into camp.

Mallowtail padded in anxious circles, her paws squelching in the mud. The camp had never looked this empty, Heronpaw reflected sadly. There was absolutely no one in the clearing, and no sounds came from the dens.

From the entrance to the nursery popped Snowpaw's face. The white apprentice must have been cleaning nests too. He watched in amusement as she squeezed her way out and bounded over to them. "Heronpaw!" she began, but Mallowtail cut her short. "Where is Badgertail?"

Snowpaw looked almost confused, and upset. He wasn't so sure what had frightened his sister so much. What had happened? Dread filled him as she opened her mouth to answer. "He's sick. Icebreath and Orangeleaf moved him to the medicine den this morning." Snowpaw turned to look at Heronpaw, eyes filled with fear.


	10. Chapter 8

"Mouse-dung!" Mallowtail spat. Without explaining to the apprentices, she raced across camp and stopped outside Reedstar's den. There was a pause as she obviously waited for permission to enter, then she vanished inside.

Heronpaw looked into Snowpaw's blue eyes. "Badgertail's sick?" he asked breathlessly. Snowpaw nodded, looking as worried as Heronpaw felt. It was as if a nightmare had engulfed him. The thought of his father, lying in a nest and coughing pathetically made his tail quiver. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Snowpaw said honestly. "He was just coughing a lot, and Icebreath asked Orangeleaf to look at him. Orangeleaf said that he has Greencough and ordered that he be moved to the medicine den."

Heronpaw's breath stuttered. "What's going to happen to RiverClan now? We don't have a leader or a deputy."

"Of course we do," Snowpaw said, her voice harder than usual. "Reedstar is still our leader and Badgertail is still our deputy. They're just sick." Her eyes brightened. "Nightfall and Lionfish got let out of the medicine den this morning, though."

That didn't cheer Heronpaw up at all. Lionfish and Nightfall might be better, but his own father was sick instead.

Before he could answer, however, he heard Reedstar's sharp voice call across the clearing, "RiverClan, gather for a Clan meeting!"

Reedstar was looking healthier than she had in a while. Heronpaw could only guess what it cost her.

From the crevices and separate dens, cats began spilling out into the clearing. Creekripple padded into the camp, followed closely by Orangeleaf. The medicine cat had never before looked so frantic. Heronpaw tried not to think about what that look could mean. Icebreath and Lionfish padded into the camp together and sat near the back of the Clan. Longwhisker tumbled out of the nursery, two of his kits on top of him. He gently nudged them off and watched them race back from whence they came. Lichenheart sat at the nursery entrance, Tigerkit curled under her paws. Seabreeze came out of the elders' den, stretching as though having just woken from a nap. Warrior poured into the camp from various places, all eyeing Reedstar nervously.

"Mallowtail has warned me that the ThunderClan border by Sunningrocks has been neglected on their side. She thinks it might be a pattern of invasion. We need team patrols to go to the border and make sure."

Heronpaw blinked in disbelief. He had just been at the ThunderClan border, and he hadn't seen any waiting forces! What was Mallowtail doing, stirring up trouble like this?

"Rippleclaw will lead one. Take Icebreath, Applefur, Splashcloud, Birchfoot, and Creekripple with you. Sandpelt, you can take the back up patrol. Take Mintpool, Slyheart, Petalcloud, Owlbeak, and Mallowtail with you."

Mintpool spoke up, "Should our apprentices come with us?"

Reedstar didn't hesitate, "If you think they are ready."

Heronpaw and Snowpaw looked up hopefully, but Mallowtail and Birchfoot did not call them over. They watched jealously as Falconpaw joined Mintpool's side as the two patrols streamed out of camp. Disappointment burned through him as the last cat vanished through the camp entrance. What were the patrols doing? Why couldn't he and Snowpaw go along to remark the border?

"So you were at the ThunderClan border?" Snowpaw asked from beside him, shaking him from his thoughts. "How did you get there?"

He knew that she was trying to distract him, and maybe herself to. In either case, he appreciated the change of subject. "We swam there."

"No way!" she gasped in disbelief. Heronpaw lifted his head proudly as she gushed in a manor that was entirely unlike Snowpaw. "That's so cool! You already swam? I'm so jealous. Birchfoot hasn't done anything like that!"

Heronpaw shrugged half-heartedly. "Mallowtail said that I'd have to learn sometime."

Snowpaw shook her head a little. "But it's freezing out! Surely swimming at this temperature is dangerous?"

He chuckled, heart lighter than it'd been since he'd been made an apprentice. "I didn't say it was a warm swim!"

His sister's white paw nudged the warm moss lying forgotten at her paws. "Why don't you tell me about it while we put this in Seabreeze's nest?"

It was almost fun, cleaning out the nest with Snowpaw. It almost felt like when they were kits again, but even better now that they were apprentices instead of kits. Seabreeze sat back to give them space, and listened to Heronpaw's story with interest. They were the perfect audience, asking all the right questions.

Just as Heronpaw was starting to tell them about Mallowtail running around the ThunderClan border when cats poured into camp. Seabreeze pushed her way out of the elders' den, Heronpaw and Snowpaw on her paws.

The patrol was a dreadful sight. Rippleclaw was supported between Icebreath and Splashcloud, who both had long cuts down their sides. Behind them, various patrol members limped, leaning on one another for support. Heronpaw felt all the warmth drain out of him. What on earth had happened?

Reedstar sat outside her den, eyes wide as she watched the patrol. Longwhisker stood outside the nursery, fur on end. Inside, Lichenheart could be heard calming the kits.

"What happened?" Reedstar demanded as the cats finished filing in. Sandpelt padded forward to give the report.

"ThunderClan was waiting for us at the border. Nightstar was in charge of the patrol. Turns out that ThunderClan has a new leader," she added bitterly.

As she spoke, Heronpaw spotted Falconpaw sitting with one paw in the air. The older apprentice did not look in the least bit excited. His eyes looked slightly haunted, yet proud. Heronpaw noticed Lionfish padding toward him with concern in her eyes.

Mallowtail was sitting behind Falconpaw, watching Sandpelt with burning eyes. She looked frightening in comparison to every other time Heronpaw had communicated with her, more so than that very morning.

"What did she want then?" Reedstar implored.

Sandpelt bristled. "They demanded we hand over Sunningrocks. That pathetic nuisance wants to start a war for them!"

"And what happened?" Reedstar sounded like she was getting impatient.

"We fought them off. ThunderClan will be licking their wounds for a while."

"Still," Rippleclaw spoke from where he lay being treated by Orangeleaf. Heronpaw saw Kestrelpaw beside him, helping him. Her face did not look worried or frightened, simply calm and determined. A rush of pride for his once timid sister warmed him up against the cold slowly creeping across the camp. "Nightstar made it clear that she had Sunningrocks in her sights. I don't think she's going to give up so easily."

Reedstar nodded, a fierce look in her eye. "Of course."

"What are we gonna do?" someone muttered. As soon as it was said, word spread among the warriors very quickly. "We have a sick deputy and a sick leader!" "We can't fight them of forever…." "We can't hand over Sunningrocks, we'll look weak!" "How are we gonna win this?"

The old leader tried to get order, but couldn't seem to get loud enough. She watched the Clan, her eyes glazed with exhaustion. Finally, Icebreath threw back her head and let out a yowl. Reedstar gave her a thankful nod before speaking. "RiverClan is strong. Sure, sickness has entered our camp. But that does not mean we cannot fight it. We have a good medicine cat, who has recently taken on an apprentice. Soon, we will have two good medicine cats in our ranks. As well, we just assigned many new apprentices. I would like their mentors to step up their training. RiverClan might be strong, but we'll still need all the paws we can get when the time comes to fight."


	11. Chapter 9

After that, training was twice as tough. Never again did Mallowtail make him swim, but instead they had been practicing everything else under the sun. They had started hunting fish, hooking them out of the thawing river with quick dabs. Heronpaw found this task easier than any of the others. Battle training was particularly tough. RiverClan warriors were supposed to be sleek, and hard to pin down. Unfortunately, he just wasn't as quick as he'd have liked to be. Even injured from the battle, Mallowtail was able to easily overtake him every session.

There was a Gathering. Heronpaw had not been allowed to go, as he had spent all day training, and had been too tired. Birchfoot took Snowpaw, and Kestrelpaw went with Orangeleaf, who told their waiting siblings all about it.

"Nightstar didn't say anything about the battle!" Otterpaw old them incredulously. "All she said was that ThunderClan was strong despite the loss of Stormstar, and that they'd be watching their boundaries closely."

"Do you think that was a threat?" Sablepaw asked, looking worried.

Otterpaw shrugged. "She was looking at Brackenstar when she said it."

Brackenstar? The leader of SkyClan? Didn't sound like RiverClan's problem to the other apprentices. But Kestrelpaw shook her head. "Since Nightstar became leader, she has had her eyes out for trouble. She may have been looking at SkyClan at the moment, but that doesn't mean RiverClan shouldn't worry."

And worry RiverClan did. The camp wall had been reinforced over and over again. Warriors who had been sick were starting to get better…all except for a few. Reedstar was keeping to her den, coming out every day for some fresh air and herbs from Orangeleaf, but otherwise staying out of sight. Orangeleaf himself starting to look ill, his face a constant set of worry and stress that had his apprentice worried. The other was Badgertail. The deputy hadn't left the medicine den since he had been diagnosed with Greencough.

That didn't mean the camp wasn't well looked after. Icebreath made sure that the queens were well kept. Lichenheart hadn't been alone for very long. Not long after Heronpaw's apprentice ceremony, Applefur moved into the nursery expecting Owlbeak's kits. It was their first ever litter, yet Owlbeak was strutting around the camp as though he had just been promoted to deputy. Sandpelt had taken over caring for the patrols, ensuring that everybody played in equal part in making sure their boundaries were well cared for. Rippleclaw oversaw hunting patrols. He had taken it upon himself to make sure no cat went hungry.

Creekripple was also working harder than ever. He had helped patch up the camp walls, giving the workers tips that had been used to reinforce the SkyClan camp wall for many seasons now. "No one's ever broken into there," he assured Tigerkit, Cinderkit, and Swankit as they watched. They had laughed and circled around him.

Many warriors had by now come to accept and even reasonably like having Creekripple in the Clan. It had gotten to the point where Lichenheart was allowing her three kits to play around him. All of this was mildly concerning for Heronpaw, who wasn't exactly happy with the brown warrior. Forget the fact that he had once been a warrior from a different Clan; he was still not entirely trustworthy.

Creekripple treated him different from the rest of the Clan. Once, Heronpaw had been practicing his stalking skills when he'd stubbed his paw. He had yowled in pain, scaring off a nearby blackbird. Apparently, Creekripple had been hunting the blackbird, and blamed Heronpaw for it getting away.

"If you hadn't scared it away!" he had bellowed at him before others showed up. "I would have been able to feed Lichenheart and Applefur with it!" Afterwards, he had told Mallowtail that Heronpaw had deliberately scared away prey meant for the nursery with his tomfoolery. Heronpaw had been sentenced to hunting duties all the next day, and wasn't allowed to feed until the queens and elders had been fed.

Heronpaw had been walking once and accidently stepped in front of Creekripple. The sleek tom had hissed that the young apprentice was always getting in the way, and had asked Mallowtail to confine him to the camp. Thankfully, Mallowtail had been lenient that time, and had taken Heronpaw out to practice battle moves.

Often, the warrior would make sneering comments at him, how he needed to train harder, work faster, and be altogether more efficient. He had once even hinted that Heronpaw's apprentice work wasn't good enough for RiverClan. "I would expect Badgertail's son to act more appropriately," he'd sneered one day while he was telling Heronpaw off for not cleaning out the nursery bedding. "You don't see Otterpaw or any of your sisters acting this way."

The unfairness of it all was that Creekripple only treated Heronpaw this way. To everyone else- including Heronpaw's littermates –he was an angel. He had fought doubly hard in the battle against ThunderClan, earning himself a nicked ear, wrenched claw, and good name. He was a hard-working cat, pulling double duty along with the senior warriors to put the Clan in good care. He was nice and respectful to everyone but Heronpaw.

Maybe not everyone. Since the day of the battle, Orangeleaf had not had any direct contact with the burly warrior. When Creekripple had needed treating for his wound, Kestrelpaw had been the one to treat it, despite her inexperience. Only a couple of times had Heronpaw seen the two cats in the same vicinity. Once, Orangeleaf had accidentally bumped into Creekripple on his way into camp while carrying a bunch of herbs. The brown warrior looked as though he wanted to talk to the medicine cat, but Orangeleaf had bustled past too quickly for conversation. Otherwise, whenever Creekripple could be seen inching toward him, Orangeleaf would always busy himself with something, making sure that their paths never crossed.

Heronpaw desperately wanted to know about this strange behavior, but didn't know the medicine cat well enough to ask. He had asked Kestrelpaw once, to which she replied she hadn't noticed any strange behavior between them. Not that he found his sister a reliable source anymore. Kestrelpaw had been different since her half-moon journey to the moonstone.

Mallowtail padded up to Heronpaw, making him shake his reverie. He and his mentor got along better now that he was half a moon into his training. He didn't always understand her, but in the end, he was starting to trust her and her quirky ways.

"We're on hunting duty today," she announced cheerfully. "Birchfoot, Sandpelt, and I would like to test you on your hunting skills."

Heronpaw's ears pricked up. "You mean like an assessment?"

Mallowtail's ears twitched in amusement. "Sort of. You're not yet ready for a real assessment, but we would like to know how you're coming along."

His tail swished as excitement flowed through him. "Are we on our own today?"

His mentor tilted her head. "We're going to the river and hunting there. We would like you each to make one significant catch to bring back for the queens."

He felt like he was deflating. "So it's just like any other time?"

"Kind of," Mallowtail said, shrugging. "Only we're not going to help you at all. You get to pick where along the river we hunt."

That was a little better.

Snowpaw and Ivypaw approached, followed by their mentors. He could see that they were both very excited. "Ready, then?" asked Birchfoot imperiously. Ivypaw made a gagging motion where Birchfoot couldn't see her. Heronpaw had to fight off a laugh.

"Of course," Mallowtail said respectfully. "Would you like to lead?"

Birchfoot lifted his head proudly, taking the lead of the patrol. Heronpaw wasn't entirely sure, but he thought he saw Sandpelt throw Mallowtail and amused look.

The group headed to the camp entrance together, stopping only to let a patrol finish filing into the camp. Leading the patrol was Creekripple. Heronpaw tried as hard as he could to be invisible just long enough for the warrior to pass. He needn't have worried, though. Creekripple was all too distracted by Birchfoot dipping his head to him. "Good day, Creekripple?" the mottled warrior asked eagerly

"Certainly," Creekripple answered in what sounded to Heronpaw like a haughty voice. "The river is running easier now that the ice has melted. It looked a little swollen, actually."

"ThunderClan will have a hard time crossing that," Birchfoot chattered easily.

"We'll have a hard time crossing that," Creekripple answered. "ThunderClan will have an easier time getting Sunningrocks while it's on their side of the river."

Sandpelt turned to Mallowtail while they were talking. "If the river is overflowing, perhaps we shouldn't take the apprentices hunting there. The overflowing river could wash them away!"

For the first time, Creekripple acknowledged the apprentices. "I'm sure Ivypaw and Snowpaw would be fine," he said carefully. Heronpaw flattened his ears, but said nothing. He noticed Mallowtail's tail bristle. She must have heard his veiled insult.

"We should go," she said, her voice a little more brittle than usual. "The apprentices will have to learn to hunt in flowing waters some time."

Sandpelt was looking back and forth between Creekripple and Mallowtail, a confused look plastered to her face. Heronpaw knew, but didn't say, that Creekripple's comment meant nothing against Mallowtail. He was after Heronpaw himself.

Birchfoot once again took the lead as the small patrol headed into the fields and toward the river. He was winding them along the familiar path to the stepping stones. Heronpaw trailed along after the patrol, wondering what on earth he had ever done to have Creekripple hate him so much.

He had a hard time paying attention to where he was going, and almost tripped over a tree root. Thankfully, Ivypaw was there and stopped him just in time. By the time they got to the river, he was starting to feel better. A plan had formed in his head. If he brought back a big enough catch, maybe he could prove once and for all that he was going to be a good apprentice.

Together, the three apprentices sat at the edge to the river while the warriors sat behind them. Concentrating harder than ever, Heronpaw sat still as stone, watching the river below him. Ivypaw and Snowpaw settled on either side of him, each of them staring with fixed concentration into the water. Ivypaw quietly slunk down the river to the edge of the riverbed, before she leapt onto the first stone, then the second. Snowpaw indicated with her head where Heronpaw should position himself at the edge of the water. He watched her head upriver, her eyes clear, and understood just what she was going to do.

Crouching at just the edge, he waited until Snowpaw's paws slapped into the water. Reacting ever so quickly, he jumped into the water just as the fish were reaching him. To his surprise, he actually managed to pin one. The rest of the fish splashed downriver, right into Ivypaw's waiting claws. To top the entire hunting experience off, Ivypaw managed to grab two.

The mentors purred, eyes bright as the apprentices returned to where they stood patiently waiting. Birchfoot stood with his head up very smug. "That was good thinking, Snowpaw. A good leader always has a plan."

Snowpaw's fur fluffed up with embarrassment. "I'm not ready to be leader."

Birchfoot shrugged. "You don't have to Clan leader to be a leader."

Sandpelt was looking at Ivypaw with a look of utmost pride. "Those are some quick claws. You'll make a great fighter, let alone hunter."

Ivypaw didn't respond verbally, just smiled sheepishly. This was so uncharacteristic of her that Heronpaw was taken aback. Usually, Ivypaw would be bragging about her catch. Today, however, she just shrugged and held her tongue.

Mallowtail flicked his cheek with her tail, getting his attention. "You did great, understanding Snowpaw's plan like that. You even managed to catch something. You've done very well today, Heronpaw."

For some reason, her praise warmed him than ever before. In his heart, he knew he could endure Creekripple's taunts, and any coming hardship as long as he trusted Mallowtail. He may not have liked her in the beginning, but today, her one compliment meant the world to him.

Chest puffed out, Heronpaw picked up the one catch he had made. Snowpaw scooped up one of Ivypaw's fish while the gray apprentice picked up the other. With Sandpelt in the lead, the six cats made their way back to camp quickly. His paws itched to run ahead, but he knew that any good warrior was patient. Carefully, he placed one paw in front of the other and forced himself to walk slowly behind the warriors. Pride blossomed in his chest.

_Wait til Badgertail sees my catch!_ He thought smugly. Surely he was making his father proud. Badgertail hadn't been eating an awful lot lately because of the Greencough. Perhaps Orangeleaf would encourage him to eat more today. He knew that Icebreath would. _Icebreath!_ He could almost see her face now, glowing with pride.

_What will Creekripple say?_ No longer could the dark warrior tell Heronpaw that he was useless! Maybe the ex-SkyClan cat would finally be nice to him. Heronpaw hoped so. He could see that the rest of the Clan was starting to really like and respect Creekripple, and he didn't like the idea of being on the warrior's bad side.

At last they reached the reedbed that marked RiverClan's camp. Sandpelt made her way in first, followed by Mallowtail and Birchfoot. The three apprentices made to go into the camp after them, but found their way blocked. Snowpaw voiced her objection around the fish, though no discernable words came out. _What's going on?_ He wondered. Was something wrong.

Finally, the three warriors seemed to make their way into the camp, and the apprentices progressed after them. Heronpaw's stomach seemed to drop as he realized the rest of the Clan was gathered around Orangeleaf and Reedstar. His first thought was of Badgertail, sick in the medicine den. Had the deputy died? Slowly, his panic eased. If Badgertail was dead, his body would have been brought into the clearing, so the Clan could openly mourn his loss. Icebreath was sitting at the edge of the clearing next to Rippleclaw, and was muttering quietly. Certainly, if her mate had died, Icebreath would be in pieces? Definitely not sitting calmly like that!

Heronpaw made his drop onto the fresh-kill pile and settled beside Otterpaw. "What's going on?" he asked of his brother, but the brown tabby only shrugged.

Reedstar waited patiently until everyone had settled before speaking. "Orangeleaf came to me this morning with word from StarClan." That was how the meeting began.

The orange medicine cat stepped forward. Heronpaw did not miss his shaking tail. What was happening? What had StarClan said to the RiverClan medicine cat that had made him so nervous?

"StarClan has told me in a dream last night that the Clan cannot remain so defenseless." Immediately, there were protests from the warriors.

"We have _not_ been defenseless," Owlbeak spat. "RiverClan is growing stronger again!"

"What more could we possibly do to make RiverClan stronger?" hissed Petalcloud in outrage.

Orangeleaf didn't try to tame the crowd, simply waiting in silence for the noise to subside. When it didn't, Reedstar motioned for quiet with her tail. The Clan fell into a tense calm at her signal. Orangeleaf looked slightly sick, but continued to speak at once. "StarClan told me that we cannot afford to go any longer without a strong leadership." He nodded to Reedstar as he spoke. "Our leader is certainly getting stronger as the days go by, but our deputy…" His voice trailed off, leaving Heronpaw feel a shred of cold spread through his body. Badgertail was getting better too, wasn't he?

"Are you suggesting we appoint a new deputy? But Badgertail's deputy!" Tanglefur protested. Reedstar stepped forward to answer, relieving Orangeleaf of having to.

"This appointment is only temporary. Badgertail is still the true deputy of RiverClan. But if Orangeleaf's warning has any real weight to it, which I feel it does, we must appoint a new one to take his place while he is so sick."

To Heronpaw's dismay, he saw cats nodding. They actually agreed to this! "It makes sense," he heard mutters going around the Clan. "With Badgertail so sick…everyone's been working too hard….the Clan needs strong leadership…if StarClan says so…"

Reedstar flicked her tail. "Until Badgertail is recovered, we will need a temporary deputy. That deputy will be- "

"Wait!" Orangeleaf shouted, jumping up. Heronpaw grimaced. Why couldn't the frog-brained medicine cat make up his mind! "I just had…just saw…I had a vision!" Everyone was looking curiously at the medicine cat, eyes full of wonder. Orangeleaf jumped up, eyes glassy and tail fluffed up to twice it's normal size. By now the Clan was waiting with bated breath as he padded forward. Heronpaw narrowed his eyes, noticing that Orangeleaf's paws were slightly unsteady. The medicine cat finally sat, eyes still unfocused, but still clearly agitated. "There was the river, weaker than before. But coming from this was a little creek, flowing stronger than even the river." The medicine cat gave a slight jerk, narrowing his own eyes and leaning backward a bit. "The creek…it appears to be covered…in stardust…."

Reedstar watched as Orangeleaf fell into silence, her tail stiff out behind her and her eyes wide. Others were by now brushing against each other, muttering. Heronpaw felt as if his insides had fallen right out of his belly and onto the cold ground. There was only one cat StarClan could mean in their sign. Cats parted ways and the brown warrior stepped up, rather hesitantly.

"Creekripple," Reedstar said, indicating he should step forward. "I know that your origins are questionable at best. But you have proven yourself a warrior with a RiverClan heart. StarClan knows it, and now we entrust that heart to you as temporary deputy of RiverClan."

Creekripple looked around the Clan, his eyes wide and troubled. "Me? Born SkyClan?" He turned to Reedstar his eyes unsure. "Are you sure that this is the right choice?"

Reedstar nodded stiffly. "StarClan has spoken. You are the right choice."

Chest fur rippling in the cold air, Creekripple dipped his head to Reedstar, and RiverClan. "I will do my best."

"We'd expect nothing less," Reedstar answered simply. Afterwards, she stepped back into her den, disappearing.

Several cats stepped forward to congratulate Creekripple on his temporary position of authority in the Clan. Birchfoot, Rippleclaw, and Fightclaw among them. Heronpaw noticed that not everyone was particularly pleased with the appointment. Icebreath sat where she had been when Heronpaw had entered the camp, her eyes narrowed with distinct distrust. Beside her, Mallowtail sat, her face stony muttering with Owlbeak. This was surprising because Mallowtail had seemed so supportive of Creekripple being the Clan when he'd first arrived. Apparently, that didn't extend to deputy-ship.

Heronpaw himself didn't know exactly what to feel about it. Creekripple wasn't really deputy, just a fill in. Badgertail was still the _real_ deputy. Yet something was still nagging him about it. StarClan themselves had appointed Creekripple RiverClan's temporary deputy. They had sent not one, but two signs to Orangeleaf to indicate the ex-SkyClan warrior. Did that they mean they preferred Creekripple to Badgertail?

This was something beyond Heronpaw's comprehension. He looked around for Orangeleaf, perhaps hoping the medicine cat could answer his question. But it looked as if Orangeleaf wasn't in the camp. The hackles on Heronpaw's neck rose. Why hadn't the medicine cat stayed to see the appointment of the warrior he himself had designated? It seemed strange that right after an important message from StarClan like this one that the cat who had delivered it had gone ahead and left the camp.

Beside him, Otterpaw growled low in his throat. "What?" Heronpaw asked, curious.

"What does all this mean for Badgertail?"

As if to answer his question, Creekripple stepped forward and looked down at them. "Don't worry, I won't be replacing your father any day soon." His green eyes looked from Otterpaw to Heronpaw equally. "I'm just filling in for him while he's sick. And those are pretty big pawsteps to fill!" he added jauntily, allowing the warriors closer to him to have an admirable laugh. Heronpaw's brow furrowed in confusion. It was as though Creekripple had a Clan all to himself already, within RiverClan. The warrior narrowed his eyes, glancing once again between Heronpaw and Otterpaw. "You and your whole family are great additions to the Clan. I personally assure you that no one will treat any of you differently, or your father with any less respect."

Experienced already in Creekripple's way of thinking, Heronpaw had belief in any of his assurances. In fact, it just solidified his fears more.


	12. Chapter 10

A few nights went by, and nothing major happened. Tigerkit, Cinderkit, and Swankit were caught trying to sneak out of camp, ThunderClan warriors were chased off of Sunningrocks, and the river began to flow freely again. The Gathering approached with swiftness. Mallowtail told him that this time, he'd be going. Heronpaw's claws itched with excitement. He wanted to see the other Clans at last. He'd once spotted a gray tom on the ThunderClan border, a warrior Mallowtail had named Flintrock- a popular choice for ThunderClan's next deputy. A couple of days ago, he'd been patrolling the WindClan border with Mallowtail and Owlbeak when he'd spotted an enemy patrol. They hadn't stopped to chat, but he'd gotten a good look at an orange she-cat he suspected might have been Russetstar.

In the meantime, the Clan was starting to feel secure now that leadership was established. Heronpaw may not have liked him, but even he couldn't deny that Creekripple was making a good deputy. Now that he was covering deputy duties, the warriors were stronger and more fit than ever before. There was always prey on the fresh-kill pile, and the warriors were getting enough sleep. The last of them moved back into the warriors' den, all except for Badgertail, who was still pretty sick.

"He's on the mend," Orangeleaf had snapped one day after Snowpaw had been badgering him. "Leave him be, and he'll be back to deputy duties in no time."

Reedstar, on the other hand, didn't seem to be getting any better. Orangeleaf had confined her to her den, and limited visitors to himself and Creekripple. "When Badgertail gets better, he'll be visiting instead of Creekripple," he'd explained at a Clan meeting. "But for right now, only us two."

"But the Gathering!" Fightclaw fretted. "Who's going to represent RiverClan at the next Gathering?"

"Creekripple should, as he's the deputy currently," Orangeleaf had answered readily.

The brown warrior had sat with wide eyes, waving his tail as the camp filled with complaints. "Reedstar would want RiverClan to be well-represented," he'd said, his voice a little thoughtful rather than demanding.

"Not to say that you're not a great deputy," Lionfish spoke up. "But you were once SkyClan, and you're not leader or even the real deputy. Shouldn't RiverClan be represented by someone who is fully RiverClan?"

"He is fully RiverClan!" Birchfoot snarled at her.

Creekripple raised his tail for silence. "If it is the Clan's choosing, if Reedstar or Badgertail is not fit enough by the time of the Gathering, then RiverClan doesn't need to go."

Heronpaw listened in shocked silence. RiverClan not go? That'd mean he'd miss his first Gathering! His fur bristled at the thought. Despite his bad feelings for Creekripple, the brown warrior _was_ a good deputy, and had obviously proved himself a worthy RiverClan warrior to StarClan. What more did the Clan want?

He knew what they wanted. They weren't the only ones that wanted Badgertail, or Reedstar back on their feet.

Heronpaw awoke one morning, paws aching from a particularly difficult training bout yesterday. He had trained with Falconpaw and Sablepaw. His shy sister had surprised everyone by advancing incredibly fast at her battle training. Heronpaw had heard Applefur asking him what he was feeding her to make her so deft at fighting. Mallowtail had hoped working with apprentices who were farther along than him would benefit all three of them.

The training session hadn't gone that well for him, though. Heronpaw felt evermore confused by Sablepaw and Falconpaw's moves. When he'd finally managed to get through the twists and flashes of claws and actually complete the move, he'd felt prouder than ever. Even that had been ruined by the interaction between Falconpaw and Sablepaw at the end of the session. The older apprentice had whispered something that Heronpaw really hadn't found that funny. Sablepaw seemed to think it was funny, for she giggled very goofily, her tail swishing. Falconpaw had swelled at her laugh, brushing his tail against her as they headed away from the training center.

He hadn't thought of it before, but now after that interaction, it was all Heronpaw could think about. His six littermates and he…well they were growing up. Otterpaw had grown bigger than any of the others, Snowpaw longer with shorter legs, Ivypaw sleeker with a broad build, Heronpaw taller with long legs, Kestrelpaw slim and sleek with a long body, and finally, Sablepaw, who was plumper with short legs. Physical growth was nothing compared to mental growth. Otterpaw was rather stuck-up, his pride his only downfall. Snowpaw was less stubborn than before, and more like Icebreath. Ivypaw was less belligerent than before, and more patient. Kestrelpaw had gone through the most change, being infinitely more patient and seeming wiser. Sablepaw was more social, and little more passionate.

Heronpaw himself had changed quite a bit as well. He would like to think he thought things out more. He was also a little less outwardly passionate about things, but rather more set in what he wanted to do. In his heart, he knew that he wasn't interested in finding a mate or having kits yet, just earning his warrior name and serving his Clan.

The time of the Gathering was drawing ever nearer. Just one day away, the Clan was not looking any closer to going. Reedstar was still confined to her den, and Badgertail had not yet left the medicine den. Heronpaw had stopped Kestrelpaw on her way out to collect herbs that morning.

"How is he?"

She shrugged. "No better, no worse. Orangeleaf said the only thing that he should need now is rest, but," she leaned closer to him, lowering her voice. "I think that he needs exercise, not rest. Orangeleaf won't let him leave the medicine den. Says he's better off resting and Badgertail believes him. But he's growing restless and I can't blame him."

Heronpaw frowned. "What about Reedstar?"

She shook her head. "Orangeleaf won't let me in to see her. Says it's too serious."

That struck Heronpaw as odd. Wouldn't Orangeleaf want his apprentice to help? And if Kestrelpaw was right about Badgertail needing exercise, shouldn't Orangeleaf be encouraging him to get out more? No matter what Heronpaw thought, though, it all came back to one thing: He was an apprentice, not a warrior, and by far no medicine cat. Perhaps his sister was correct in thinking that Badgertail needed to get out more, but then again, she was just an apprentice herself. Considering his lack in medicinal expertise, Heronpaw could not question Orangeleaf's word. He would just have to trust that the older and wiser cat knew what he was doing.

All in all, the day of the Gathering was approached with a tense air. Cats peered at each other the morning, all with the same question on their minds but no one daring to actually ask. Heronpaw sat beside Ivypaw, exchanging a dubious look. Neither was entirely sure how to treat today.

Mallowtail had him to simple tasks that day: taking food to the elders and helping Orangeleaf collect herbs. The medicine cat had spent the previous night and most of the day in Reedstar's den. So it was Kestrelpaw who took Heronpaw out and showed him what to collect. The herbs were smelly and tasted vile when he carried them back to camp. Kestrelpaw called them burdock root. Heronpaw couldn't for the life of him remember what they were supposed to do.

None of it really mattered to him. He was too busy thinking about what was happening back in camp. Reedstar- too sick to leave her den; Badgertail- fast asleep in the medicine den; Creekripple- trying to run the Clan with a slightly panic stricken look on his face.

The bright spot in working for Orangeleaf was that he got to visit his father. Badgertail was sitting up in his nest when Kestrelpaw and Heronpaw entered. Heronpaw rushed to his father's side after dropping the roots where Kestrelpaw instructed him. The walls of the medicine den were weaved reeds and ferns. The effect was that it was stable, and strong, but still comfortable.

Sick or not, Badgertail looked pleased to see his son. His blue eyes lit up when Heronpaw padded over to him. On the ground next to his nest were some fish remnants. The old deputy must have been eating when the apprentices had returned.

"Heronpaw!" Badgertail greeted warmly. "I'm so glad to see you." His voice, once so calm and confident was no edged with a cough. "How's training?"

Heronpaw sat on his behind, looking his father up and down. Despite the Greencough affecting his voice, Badgertail looked restless, almost. It was as though his father's claws were itching to get out, and Heronpaw could see immediately why Kestrelpaw thought so. It was obvious that his physical strength would come more easily if he were actually using his body.

"Training's coming along," he answered honestly. "Mallowtail has me working hard."

"Good," Badgertail rasped loudly. "I wouldn't want any kit of _mine_ getting off easy!"

Heronpaw winced at the plain sickness in his father's voice. But being pessimistic would get him nowhere. Clearly, his father was on the mend. All he needed was a little exercise.

_And our medicine cat is so sure the opposite is true, he won't let him get his strength back!_

By then, cats were gathering in the clearing. Heronpaw said a quick goodbye to his father and padded out to join them. Excitement rang in his ears. Tonight would be his first Gathering! His paws itched to be thrumming along his Clanmates' as they made their way to Fourtrees.

Ivypaw and Sablepaw were sitting together. His two sisters would be going to the Gathering tonight as well. He made a beeline for them, and sat beside them, excitement making his fur prick. "I can't wait to see the other Clans," he said in a rush.

Sablepaw sat up straight. "Well, I can't wait to talk to some of the other apprentices in the other Clans. Maybe they'll show us some battle moves."

Ivypaw's ears twitched. "If we go. Remember that Reedstar is still sick."

As she spoke, she angled her ears toward where Creekripple was calling order. Orangeleaf, who had not left Reedstar's den all day, appeared in the entrance and whispered something in his ear. The substitute deputy leaned over and whispered something, eyes looking around warily. He must have been trying very hard to be quiet; his lips were hardly moving.

Finally, Orangeleaf withdrew to the confines of Reedstar's den once again. Creekripple sat, his eyes glazed as if he were deep in thought. Finally, he stepped forward. "RiverClan," he rasped, his eyes looking slightly troubled. "Reedstar is still very sick."

"How can we go to the Gathering?" Fightclaw asked, stepping forward. "Both our leader and our deputy are unavailable."

It was the first crack against Creekripple that Heronpaw had heard in a long time.

"It's simple," Creekripple answered him. "We won't go."

More protests met his words. "RiverClan _can't_ miss a Gathering!"

"The other Clans will think we're weak!"

"What will StarClan think?"

Heronpaw found it mindboggling how badly Creekripple's decisions were received. Everything he said brought on a whole new bout of arguments. RiverClan didn't want to go to the Gathering represented by the ex-SkyClan warrior, but when the temporary deputy said they wouldn't go, he got many arguments. What more did RiverClan expect? They couldn't not go to the Gathering, and go at the same time.

"Look," Creekripple spoke out at last, his voice raising above all the others. "The other Clans will have a Gathering without us. StarClan appointed me deputy, so they must trust in my decisions, like you should. I promise that RiverClan will be safe."

His words seemed to have a good effect. Several of the cats who had argued were now calming down. Heronpaw even saw a few nodding agreeably. Not everyone was appeased though. Owlbeak sat with Splashcloud, speaking quietly. Falconpaw and Robinpaw were whispering amongst themselves.

Disappointed, Heronpaw slunk toward the apprentice's den. "Get some rest," Mallowtail advised as he passed. "You're going out early tomorrow: Dawn patrol! And don't worry," she added. "You'll be going to the next Gathering."

Heronpaw's ears pricked and he felt a little better.

He curled into his nest, breathing in the soft smell of reeds. In his mind, he drifted back to a different time he'd smelled reeds like that. He must have been very young, only a few days old. He remembered the rustling of leaves on a cold night, wind rustling his fur. His eyes had not yet opened, but he could still smell the reeds around him.

He wasn't sure when his wandering mind drifted in to sleep. The smell of reeds was so strong, he couldn't tell if it was real or dreams.

All he knew was, too suddenly, he was being shaken by one of his sisters. "Heronpaw," her voice breathed on his face. "Get up. _Right now!_ "

He rolled over and tried to push her off of him. "What? What's going on?" His eyes opened and he found himself face to face with Snowpaw. "Snowpaw? What are you doing?"

Her long white fur was fluffed out, making her look like a cloud with wings. "Heronpaw, get up. You need to come out to the clearing!"

This time, he could hear the seriousness in her voice. His full attention on her, he sat up. "What happened? What's going on?" he repeated.

When she answered, he could see a small amount of panic behind her blue eyes. "Reedstar is dead!"


	13. Chapter 11

Those words struck home so fast, Heronpaw was out of his nest and in the clearing before Snowpaw had even finished speaking. All thoughts of sleep were now gone from his mind. Instead, his head was filled with thoughts of his leader, and only of his Clan.

Cats were milling about in the darkness. In the center of the camp, Seabreeze and Orangeleaf were decorating Reedstar's body with thyme and sage. For a moment, he thought that she might just be sleeping, and that perhaps she wasn't dead after all. But Heronpaw was not stupid enough not to recognize the perfect stillness with which she lay. Not even he, a young apprentice, could ignore the fact that she did not move, not even to breathe.

No, even from across the camp, the smell of something dark, something a little sickening, was wafting across mixed with Reedstar's scent. The old leader was dead, leaving behind her Clan in a state of mild panic.

"Now what?" somebody actually asked loud enough for the question to be carried across the Clan. "Who's going to be our leader."

"Badgertail, of course," Icebreath answered readily. "He's the deputy, after all."

"Now now," Nightfall argued. "Remember, _Creekripple_ was the deputy for as long as Badgertail was sick."

Icebreath bristled. "Badgertail is more than capable of leading this Clan!"

Birchfoot spoke up from beside Nightfall. "But Badgertail is still sick. That means that Creekripple is the leader. How could Badgertail make the journey to Highstones, receive his nine lives, and make it back with Greencough? And more important, what would be the point of replacing our sick leader with another sick leader? Creekripple is fit and healthy. He could not only make the journey, but he could lead this Clan properly instead of moping about his den!"

Icebreath bristled, and she wasn't the only one. "Show some respect!" Tanglefur hissed.

"Badgertail wouldn't mope about his den!" Icebreath argued. "And we don't even know that StarClan would approve of Creekripple's leadership, because he wasn't born in RiverClan."

Birchfoot scoffed. "Creekripple has proven himself more than enough! StarClan chose him to be deputy, remember?"

"Guys!" Creekripple caterwauled, efficiently quieting the Clan. "I know these are confusing times. We must think about what Reedstar would have wanted."

"We don't _know_ what Reedstar would have wanted, because no one asked her. No one expected this," Mallowtail pointed out.

Creekripple shook his head. "I think we can all guess that Reedstar would have wanted us to ask our medicine cat for guidance in these hard times," he pointed out gently. Others were now nodding agreeably.

"Good idea," Rippleclaw said. "Orangeleaf. We need you now, tell us your thoughts."

The medicine cat had been sitting outside Reedstar's den with his head bowed. Heronpaw hadn't even noticed him there until he looked up. Orangeleaf looked a real mess. His fur was disheveled, his eyes troubled. From a distance, his fur looked greasy, as though he hadn't bathed in a few days. Clearly, the stress of taking care of their leader, and ultimately failing, had really taken a toll on him.

When Orangeleaf spoke, his voice sounded nothing like his own. Instead of being the confident medicine cat he'd always been, he sounded like a wounded apprentice.

"StarClan appointed Creekripple our deputy until Badgertail recovered. Clearly, Badgertail hasn't recovered enough for this. I'm sure that Reedstar would agree, this is what StarClan had in mind when they said we needed strong leadership."

There were gasps around the Clan. But to Heronpaw, it didn't make sense. It sounded like Orangeleaf had chosen

"Creekripple!" Snowpaw hissed from behind him. "Does Orangeleaf really believe that StarClan would want Creekripple as our leader?"

Heronpaw had to say he quite agreed with his sister.

But the medicine cat's word seemed to have tamed the Clan. Cats were starting the chant, welcoming Creekripple as their leader. "Creekripple! Creekripple! Creekripple!"

The brown warrior's tail went into the air, and silence fell immediately. "If you're certain, Orangeleaf?" The medicine cat wouldn't look at his new leader, or even speak. Simply, he nodded. Creekripple didn't seem to notice Orangeleaf's discomfort. "Then I shall travel to Highstones tonight with Orangeleaf and receive my nine lives. Until then, I want fresh-kill brought into the camp. While I'm gone, Rippleclaw will be in charge."

Clearly, this was a popular choice. Rippleclaw nodded, sitting up taller and promising he'd do his best. As one, Creekripple and Orangeleaf padded out of camp. Heronpaw watched them warily, not quite believing that the Clan would allow this to happen. _Badgertail_ was supposed to be the leader of the Clan. Not some warrior who couldn't even stay loyal to his birth Clan.

Now that he was awake, Heronpaw felt that he could be at least some use to his Clan.

With Mallowtail's orders, he and Robinpaw went into the wide wetland to hunt. Heronpaw was better at river hunting, so he strayed in toward the river. Robinpaw gave him a stout nod before heading inland to hunt meadow-food.

After swiping a huge fish out of the water, Heronpaw dragged it back to camp and to the nursery. Applefur and Lichenheart took the fish with an appreciative sniff. Over in a corner of the nursery, Tigerkit, Cinderkit, and Swankit were talking. As Heronpaw turned to leave the nursery, they jumped up.

"Heronpaw!" Tigerkit beckoned. "Is it true that Reedstar is dead?"

"Yeah, and that Creekripple is going to replace her as leader?"

The gray apprentice shrugged. "Reedstar is dead, and Creekripple went to the Moonstone to receive his nine lives and new name. It's only a matter of time until we see if StarClan welcomes him."

Swankit looked up at him with very round eyes. "But RiverClan already accepted him as leader. Of course StarClan's gonna!"

Heronpaw didn't know what to say to that other than, "We'll see."

The rest of the night well into dawn proceeded like that. The RiverClan cats went about their normal business. At dawn, Seabreeze, Sandpelt, and Longwhisker took the old leader out for her burial. The Clan stood at attention as she went by, some cats bowing their heads very low as she passed. Her procession walked in acute silence, Seabreeze eying the old leader with a sad look in her eye. As the oldest cat in the Clan, Seabreeze was the one who really knew Reedstar best. Sandpelt, Longwhisker, and the other senior warriors had been close to her as well, but nothing compared to the connection between a leader and her medicine cat.

Kestrelpaw sat in the entrance to the medicine den, her eyes alert. Heronpaw narrowed his own eyes, noticing that she looked very keyed up. Hi sister didn't usually look that way. Just as he was padding over to ask her what was wrong, there was a stir at the entrance. Creekripple had walked in, Orangeleaf, Seabreeze, and the senior warriors on his tail.

For someone who had made the journey to the Highstones and back in a short amount of time, Creekripple did not look very tired. He padded into camp with his head held high, his tail swishing behind him. Without so much as a glance at the cats around him, he padded into camp and took up Reedstar's old spot in the very front.

"RiverClan!" he began. "StarClan has accepted me as your leader, and given me nine lives and a new name!"

There was a collective gasp around the camp until finally, starting the back, the welcoming chant swelled. "Creekstar! Creekstar! Creekstar!"

Creekstar let the chant grow until it echoed. Finally, he raised his tail for silence. "Thank you for your loyalty, although StarClan has warned me that not everyone is loyal."

Sudden murmurings sprang up around the Clan. Not everyone was loyal? Did that mean that there was a traitor in their midst's? Heronpaw felt his insides shutter coldly. Who would be so disloyal to RiverClan? He could not imagine a warrior who would desert this Clan.

"What did StarClan say?" Sablepaw asked excitedly.

Creekstar gave her a simple nod. "They told me that one amongst us is a traitor. And I know exactly who it is. Although this cat was still very young when Fernlight died, I have reason to suspect that he has been communicating with the very cat who killed her, building a future attempt to kill me! StarClan as revealed this to me…"

For a moment, Heronpaw was filled with doubt. No one in this Clan was communicating with anyone in SkyClan that he was aware of. And even if it were true, he found it difficult to believe that StarClan would reveal all of this to Creekstar during his nine lives ceremony, which must have been very quick and short for him to have gotten all the way there and back in such a small amount of time.

But Creekstar had nine lives and a new name. Heronpaw had to believe his ancestors were watching over him, just as Icebreath had always told him they were.

"Who is it?" Sandpelt asked. Heronpaw could tell that she was eager to face the traitor.

Creekstar raised his head, his eyes falling on one cat. In that second before he spoke, when their eyes met, Heronpaw knew what was coming. He didn't want to believe it, dreaded it to the highest extent, but understood. Creekstar had always hated him for his own private reasons. Now that he had power and persuasion, he was going to get rid of him.

"Heronpaw. Step forward."

Chatter went up among his Clanmates. Whoever they had suspected, apprentice Heronpaw wasn't it.

Legs shaking, breathing difficult, Heronpaw stepped timidly forward. Despite the fact that there was no real proof, and that he'd had no chance to explain himself, he could already see some of his Clanmates glaring at him. Fightclaw even hissed when he walked past. It was almost like he really was guilty, because already everyone was starting to believe it.

_But there's no evidence against me! I've never even seen the SkyClan border. It's just his word against mine…_

Considering that Creekstar was no Clan leader, that thought really wasn't comforting.

Creekstar paced in front of him, eyes sharp. "So, you thought you could take me down, did you?"

"No," Heronpaw answered honestly. "I've never thought about fighting you."

The brown tom whirled to face him, spittle flying as he accused, "That's right, because you were only planning on killing me!"

"No!" he argued. "Never in my life would I kill a Clanmate!"

"But you never considered Creekstar a Clanmate," Tanglefur spat. "You've always thought of him as a SkyClan cat!"

Creekstar looked at her, nodding. "That's right. I tried to be friendly to you, Heronpaw, but you always thought of me as an outsider."

"You were never nice to him," Mallowtail spoke up. "You always tried to put him down."

"Silence!" Creekstar snapped. Mallowtail took a step back, looking aghast. "I never tried to put Heronpaw down. I always tried to _help_ him. I told him where to go, and what to do, and when he showed no capacity for learning, I tried to make him useful."

"Creekstar has been nothing but helpful since getting here," Birchfoot put in meaningfully. To Heronpaw's dismay, he heard most of the Clan murmuring agreement. _Creekstar is going to get rid of me. I can't believe this is happening._

And he hadn't even done anything.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Creekstar probed gently. From behind, Heronpaw heard many cats make jabs.

"How could you even think to-?"

"What possessed you to betray us?"

"Traitor!"

Heronpaw backed away fearfully. "I never did anything!"

Creekstar seemed to know he was winning. "But you were going to. I saw Fernlight in StarClan. She _told_ me what you were planning. Murder!"

Heronpaw thought that Creekstar might have been crazy. No way would Fernlight promise Creekstar a murderer in Heronpaw. They'd never even met. But something Icebreath had said to him once stood out: _StarClan always knows._

Even though Heronpaw had never done anything wrong, and had no intentions of doing anything wrong, he was going to lose this case.

What would Creekstar do? Kill him? Seemed unlikely, although nothing was impossible at this point. More than likely, he'd kick him out. He gulped. Becoming a rogue had never been the future he'd envisioned for himself. Inside his head, he was screaming. How fair was this? He was going to lose everything because of a grudge of one cat- the very cat who happened to now be Clan leader.

Heronpaw kept his head high. "I am not guilty of anything."

Creekstar knew he was right. The brown leader snarled, "But we cannot risk it. StarClan never lies. Heronpaw, I'm afraid that you can no longer be a part of RiverClan. Leave now, and do not return."

Shaking with grief, Heronpaw dipped his head and padded toward the entrance. All around him, cats withdrew from him as if he were poisonous. Several of his former Clanmates hissed at him menacingly as he passed.

Heronpaw dragged his paws out of the Clan entrance, numbness replacing his anger and indignation. He was a rogue now. Everything he had once been proud of had been stripped of him. A small whimper was building in the back of his throat. Where would he go? What would he do with himself? Should he change his name? After all, he was no longer an apprentice, and he would never be a warrior.

He had just pulled himself out of the reedbed when a cat tackled him from behind. _Has Creekstar changed his mind? Is he going to kill me after all?_ Maybe it was one of his angry former Clanmates, come to remove his threat before he could fulfill the dreadful omen StarClan had showed Creekstar. If they really had showed an omen to Creekstar.

No. It was Icebreath. "Heronpaw," she hissed into his ear. "You must go to SkyClan."

He was completely baffled. Here he was, kicked out of his Clan, and his mother was trying to get him to go to RiverClan leader's former Clan. "What?"

"There's no time to explain," she hissed urgently. "But SkyClan will not turn you away. You must go there, _now_."

"Icebreath, what are you-?"

" _Trust me_! Go to SkyClan. It is the only way." Icebreath sat back, her fur on end and her eyes slightly wild. "I love you, my son. Remember that when you go."

He sat up, confused but in no position to argue. Maybe SkyClan would take him in the way RiverClan had taken in Creekstar. There was only one way to find out.

There was one sure path to SkyClan, and that was to follow the river downstream and swim across at the scent markers. There was a sliver of old ThunderClan territory there that SkyClan had once taken over. Supposing there weren't any ThunderClan patrols along the way, Heronpaw knew he would make it into the right territory okay.

This was all theoretical. Heronpaw had never been to the SkyClan before. Well now he was going to find out.

He proceeded slowly along the rivers edge as the foliage began to thicken. Cats didn't hunt here. They only ever patrolled along these lines, or went this way to get to the old Twoleg farm. Soon, Heronpaw thought he might trip over the roots growing right out of the water. Gritting his teeth, he kept a steady temp until he smelled the scent markers.

He placed his paws in the water, which was warmer than he'd ever felt it. For a moment, he hesitated, thinking all that he was leaving behind. His entire family, the Clan he'd grown up into, Mallowtail and his training, and everything he'd ever known. There was more too. He would be leaving everything familiar to him behind to embark on a journey into a Clan he couldn't be sure would accept him.

Turning back was not an option. Creekstar had made that clear. By now, at least half the Clan would be willing to kill him if he returned. Despite his thick roots in RiverClan, there was no going back. Creekstar had ruined that.

Deciding not to give himself any more time to think, he plunged into the water and swam across the river.

…

Immediately on the other side of the river, he almost choked on the smell that reached him. It was thick, and very strong. Perhaps it would lessen when he got deeper into the territory. After all, he was right on the scent border. Sure enough, as he trudged farther into the land the scent seemed to fade quite a bit. Even so, it permeated every single tree, and wafted up to him from the very walkway.

The scent felt unfamiliar to him, the way it seemed to cling to everything. It was a scent that made his claws scratch the pine needles beneath his feet as he walked. Everything in the territory felt out of place. The trees were way taller than the ones that bordered ThunderClan! Then again, the trees here were supposedly much older than the ones in ThunderClan land.

His paws thrummed against the ground as he raced onward. He had to find a passing patrol. That was the only way he would ever get to their camp so he could speak to their leader. His spent mind stretched back to all the information he knew about the Clans to remember what the SkyClan leader's name was. This was quite a challenging task, considering all that he'd been through in the last day and a half. He hadn't slept properly since before Reedstar had died, if that little nap even counted. Even so, he was pretty sure that the SkyClan leader's name was Brackenstar.

What good did that do? His paws slowed to a stop underneath the roots of an overgrown pine. What was he even doing here? What in the name of StarClan could SkyClan do for him now? Creekstar already had his nine lives and leader name- his origin had not effected that! Brackenstar could not reinstate Heronpaw's place in RiverClan, he had no power there. The most that SkyClan could do for him was offer him a place in their Clan.

Heronpaw whimpered like a lost kit. He did not _want_ to be in SkyClan. His birth Clan might hate him now, but in his heart of hearts, he'd always be a RiverClan cat. He'd grown up to the sound of the river, right there beside the camp, raging in the warmer season and trickling in the colder season. Even though living in any Clan was more desirable than being a rogue, he could never get over the silence that came with the river's absence.

Not knowing what to do anymore, Heronpaw sunk to the ground in the roots of the pine. His heart longed to race away from here, to go back to his home in RiverClan. But even if he did manage to get out of this territory without getting caught, he'd never be able to go back.

Before he could make up his mind, he days events caught up with him. Everything since Reedstar's death began to weight on his mind and paws. His eyes seemed to slam shut and his mind go numb. Sleep overcame him before he could think to fight it.

Too suddenly, he was prodded awake. While earlier, the sun had not yet reached Sunhigh, he could tell here that the sun was almost set. He sat up, his ears ringing. _I've slept through the day in this root!_ How could he have been so stupid? He was an outcast in strange enemy territory!

Speaking of which, who had woken him? Eyes flashed in front of him as he backed into the root, facing his potential enemy. Enemies. There was a small brown tom, the one who had prodded him. Behind him stood a golden tom with the brightest green eyes Heronpaw had ever seen, and a small mottled gray tom who might have been an apprentice. Who these cats were, Heronpaw did not know. What he did know was that all three were combat trained warriors of SkyClan, and each one was glaring at him with hostility raising their hackles.

"Well," spoke the small brown tom. "Look at what we have ourselves here."


	14. Chapter 12

Heronpaw followed along the brisk pace set by the small warrior, flanked by his two guardians. The brown warrior trotted ahead, not caring to slow down to accompany his captor's unfamiliarity with the landscape. On either side of him, the golden warrior and the gray apprentice/warrior flanked him. He did not know where they were going, but could only guess that it would be the camp.

Not knowing what else to do when he'd been caught, Heronpaw had said practically nothing while the gold warrior and the brown warrior decided what to do with him. "He's gotta be RiverClan, based on the smell. What are you doing here?"

He had tried to answer that he was there to see Brackenstar, but nothing came out.

"What's your name?" the gold warrior asked. Once again, Heronpaw found his voice was strangely gone. The golden tom turned to the brown tom. "What do we do with him?"

The brown warrior's claws had slid out. "I say we teach him a lesson."

But the gold tom shook his head. "No. Can't you see he's just an apprentice?"

"So what?" the brown warrior shrugged. "He doesn't belong here."

"We should send him back!" the small gray tom suggested. Both warriors ignored him. And so the arguments continued until finally, the gold tom suggested they take him to Brackenstar.

Heronpaw trotted along in the brown warrior's wake fearfully. He didn't know why he was so scared. This was, after all, what he'd wanted. Somehow, being marched prisoner through unknown territory into an enemy camp hadn't been how he'd envisioned himself getting here.

The brown warrior suddenly slipped between two thick brushes and disappeared. The scent of SkyClan was much stronger here than it had been since the border. Heronpaw had the feeling he was about to enter enemy camp. Behind him, the gold warrior nudged him. "Walk carefully." Heronpaw appreciated the warning. He plunged in after the brown cat, trying to find his way through the barbs the way he had. Instead, he got a lot of pricks on either side. He was pretty sure that under his fur, his skin was scratched up just from this journey.

When he finally slipped between the camp wall and saw the camp for the first time, his breath caught in his chest. The camp was so _big_ , and different than RiverClan in every way.

The RiverClan camp was compact, placed on an island along the river. The nursery had been comprised of reinforced reedbed, each nest made out of moss and reeds placed in just the right nest shape. Everything had been close enough that he could hear everything from anywhere in the camp. There had never been a specific place for Reedstar to address the Clan, she simply addressed everyone from the ground.

SkyClan camp was very wide, and spread out. There were the walls of the hollow on either side, spreading up and around. It felt like an over scooped out valley. A tree branch drooped right into the camp, a perfect perch for Brackenstar at Clan meetings. Tucked neatly away along one wall was an elderflower bush, oddly surrounded by many cats. A warm looking patch of ferns stood downwind from the camp, right beside a large rock with a crack in it. Sitting outside this crack were some cats that made Seabreeze look young again. Those must have been the SkyClan elders. Between here and there, a large brush was centered right in the lowest dip of the camp. Coming from inside were tiny paw-sounds, and a squeak. That had to be the nursery.

There was so much of it that it took Heronpaw a long moment to get past his immediate surroundings and to take note of the number of cats. He had thought that RiverClan was big. Now he knew just how wrong he'd been.

Warriors were sprinkled throughout the camp. Never before had Heronpaw seen so many different colored pelts on such different sized cats! Each cat was very different from one another. He could see a small gray and white she-cat watching him from next to the elder bush, where she sat totally ignoring her conversation partner- a dark brown she-cat. A brown and white tom with golden eyes was staring at Heronpaw with an open jaw, as if he'd never seen anything quite like him before. A very large dark golden brown tom stepped forward, growling at Heronpaw as he passed. There were more cats than Heronpaw could possibly see coming out from various dens to watch him as he proceeded forward.

The brown warrior lead him straight up to a very comfortable looking fern bush built into the roots of the thorn tree with the low-hanging branch. There sat three cats that almost made Heronpaw cringe. The first one he noticed was a dark brown tabby tom with very green eyes. This was a senior warrior, but with enough left in him to not have need to retire just yet. Beside him stood a very small golden she-cat with green eyes. Her fur was so long that Heronpaw thought it might just brush the ground. The last cat in the line-up was a broad-shouldered tabby tom with the same green eyes. This tom had long whiskers and white on his muzzle. His eyes were somehow different than the others, a wizened look in them that suggested this tom meant business. Immediately, Heronpaw knew who he was. This was Brackenstar, leader of SkyClan.

"What is going on here? Beetletail, who have you brought here, and why?"

The brown warrior- presumably Beetletail –bowed his head very low. "No disrespect, Brackenstar. We didn't know what else to do with him. The runt will not talk."

Pacing forward, the SkyClan leader gave Heronpaw a big sniff. "RiverClan," he said, his voice contempt. He looked into Heronpaw's eyes, and the young apprentice suddenly realized just how different Brackenstar was from Reedstar. Reedstar had been loving, and caring. Brackenstar was proud, and logical. Not that Reedstar hadn't thought things through, but she'd always acted with her heart. Brackenstar was not that kind of leader. He lead with pure thought and logic, acting not on opinion but on fact. Reedstar had been generous toward Creekstar by letting him into the Clan. Heronpaw had thought that that was a quality every Clan leader possessed. Now he knew that if he didn't get his story exactly right, Brackenstar would not extend that same courtesy to him.

Heronpaw lifted his head and straightened his back, trying to look taller. The green eyes facing him shifted just a little; the leader had noticed this change in his guest's posture. "What's your name?" he asked airily.

"My name is Heronpaw," he spewed quickly. "I am son of Badgertail and Icebreath, apprentice of Mallowtail in RiverClan. Well, at least I was."

Brackenstar's tail flipped. "You _were_? Why did you leave?"

Heronpaw's lip curled. "Not of my own accord. I was forced out by our new leader. He never really liked me, because I was the son of the previous deputy, I think. When he became leader, his first act was to kick me out, even before appointing a deputy." As he said it, he realized that it was true. Creekstar had not appointed a new deputy before kicking him out.

Brackenstar did not look impressed. "Why would your own father kick you out?"

_Just keep breathing,_ he reminded himself as he made his next statement. "Because Badgertail never got to be leader. He was too sick when Reedstar died. So StarClan hand picked her successor through our medicine cat."

Brackenstar looked confused. "So who is RiverClan's new leader?"

This next statement carried all the weight, held in each word. "Creekstar is the new leader of RiverClan."

At his words, there were murmurs all around him as SkyClan took in his words. Brackenstar's eyes widened until Heronpaw could see the edges of them. Whatever he had been expecting, it had not been that. It was that very shock factor that Heronpaw was counting on. Obviously, RiverClan had it's secrets. Having an apprentice in his Clan, even one who otherwise did not seem to have use to him, would be an asset that even Brackenstar would not give up.

"Creekripple has taken over RiverClan?"

Heronpaw glared at the SkyClan leader with as much hatred as he dared show. As much as he needed this cat to trust him and accept him, he despised him inwardly. If this very leader had worked harder to find Fernlight's killer, perhaps then RiverClan would not be in the paws it was in today. Perhaps Heronpaw would not even be here.

But none of that mattered. All that mattered was making him accept this new young apprentice.

"Creekstar. And yes."

To his disappointment, the shock of discovering Creekstar's treachery was already fading from Brackenstar's eyes. "Even so, why would Creekstar kick you out of RiverClan if you were a loyal eager apprentice. The Creekstar I knew wouldn't have kicked out a potential loyal warrior."

Heronpaw shrugged. Truth was, he didn't know why Creekstar had kicked him out. "I don't know. He said he didn't trust me. But I had never done anything to him! I will say," he allowed his vexation to leak through. "He was very nasty to me from day one."

Brackenstar narrowed his eyes, speaking with a sort of somberness Heronpaw did not understand. "And so you've come here for shelter?"

"I saw it only fitting," Heronpaw hissed. "Considering Creekstar was from SkyClan and took over my Clan."

Brackenstar shrugged. "Do you expect us to change his decision. There is only so much I can do."

"I want shelter," Heronpaw admitted. "To be a part of SkyClan."

Brackenstar bowed his head, "Fair enough." His heart quickened. Had he really won that quickly? "However, I cannot take you in without referring to my Clan." Right. Of course he did. The old leader raised his head and addressed his Clan. "What are your thoughts? Should we take him in?"

"Of course not!" a fiery orange tom spat immediately. "We can't guarantee that he is telling us the truth! I find it hard that any Clan leader, even Creekstar, would kick out a perfectly loyal apprentice for no reason."

"Maybe not," the brown tom who had looked so shocked earlier said. "But since when has Creekstar ever been a cat with good sense?"

To Heronpaw's surprise, murmurs of agreement rose through the Clan. This bemused him. What exactly had SkyClan thought of the new RiverClan leader when he had lived among them? Had Creekstar had many friends here in SkyClan? He'd mentioned that Fernlight had been his mate, but nothing else of his previous life. And if Creekstar's word was to be trusted, precious Fernlight was dead. Heronpaw did a quick glace-around, as though expecting to see her. His search could not have produced results, even if Fernlight turned out to be alive; Heronpaw couldn't recognize her.

A dark gray she-cat spoke up, "Before he left, Creekstar seemed to change. How can we be sure that his being in RiverClan didn't change the warriors there?"

Cats were muttering and casting him spiteful glances by now. It was as though they thought he might jump up and attack any one of them at any moment. But the brown warrior wasn't done with his opinion.

"Creekstar was never of sound decision. But if this apprentice is to be believed, Creekstar only just took over RiverClan. He couldn't have had that much influence."

But Heronpaw couldn't help but feel that that wasn't entirely true. Hadn't he noticed his Clanmates changing around him? Very careful of his place in the Clan, Creekstar had changed everyone down to the medicine cat, very subtly, until they had been more than willing to kick him out when they had. With a chill, Heronpaw wondered if it had been carefully orchestrated from the very beginning. Could he really be willing to believe that?

"I, for one," the dark gray she-cat retorted, "Would like to know why RiverClan missed the moonlight Gathering not two nights ago!"

At this, outright protests started. "Yeah!" "Where was your Clan, then?" "Of course _River_ Clan wouldn't hold faith in StarClan!"

These words struck Heronpaw. It was obvious that SkyClan did not trust Creekstar. What in the name of StarClan was going on? Not in his lifetime could Heronpaw believe any Clanmates to have such a strong dislike for one another. Unless Creekstar's relationship with his Clanmates had ended the same way that Heronpaw's had ended with his. He knew that if any of his Clanmates had chosen to leave RiverClan on their own accord, he would not ever trust or like them again. But to deny that he ever had…that was something entirely different.

Brackenstar raised his tail for silence, his curious eyes holding Heronpaw's own. He knew he was expected to answer, so he tried to be honest without giving anything away. "Reedstar had died. We needed a new leader."

Everyone stopped talking as the dark brown tom beside Brackenstar spoke, "Personally, I cannot see this apprentice as a threat. In fact, he could be an asset."

Too many cats were talking at once now for Heronpaw to distinguish one distinct answer. Brackenstar again raised his tail. "I would like my senior warriors to meet me in my den. We will discuss this and come to a decision. Until then, the apprentice should wait here. Floralwhisker, our medicine cat, will look after you."

With that, the old leader turned and padded into his own den at the roots of the tree. The golden tom who had walked him to camp, the dark brown senior warrior, and several others padded after him. Heronpaw sat where he was, exhaustion and nervousness finding him.

A small black she-cat he could only assume was Floralwhisker approached him. She didn't ask him any questions, just gave him a sniff, and ordered him to eat something. Heronpaw was mildly surprised by her. She was not like Orangeleaf at all, and not just by appearance. Her mannerisms suggested a wisdom beyond his comprehension. She spoke in few words and left it at that.

No sooner had she vanished into her den (a thorn bush on the other side of the large roots where Brackenstar took shelter) than another cat approached him. This was the small gray tom who had escorted him back to camp. "Hello," the tom said in a friendly manner. "I'm Sootpaw."

Heronpaw nodded a greeting, nervously smiling at his new companion. "Don't worry about Brackenstar," Sootpaw went on. "He's usually fair. I'm Sunblaze's apprentice, by the way." He added proudly. He thought back to the gold tom who had decided to bring him back. That must have been Sunblaze.

"Why are you here?" Sootpaw asked suddenly. "I mean really. You're not here to harm SkyClan, are you?" Heronpaw felt, in that moment, he could trust the small gray tom. The boy radiated honesty, and kindness Somehow, he knew that this cat genuinely didn't want to bring harm to him nor did this cat want anything bad for him. The only thing he could do was reassure the tom that his feelings were mutual.

"No, I'm not here to harm SkyClan. I just want to live here."

That seemed good enough to Sootpaw, though whether it convinced the senior warriors or not was still unclear. "That's good. I didn't want to have to hurt you." The apprentice puffed his chest out proudly. His face turned serious again. "Is Creekstar really RiverClan's leader?"

Heronpaw nodded solemnly. "Yes." He had a sudden thought. "Did you know him- before he came to RiverClan, I mean?"

His amber eyes rolled upward as he thought. Finally, he answered, "I remember him when I was a tiny kit. But he left before I was made an apprentice."

Heronpaw nodded. He and Sootpaw must have been about the same age. Creekripple had joined the Clan when he was still a young kit as well. "Was he well liked here?"

Sootpaw seemed to be really thinking about it. "I don't really remember. I guess he was just an ordinary warrior until Fernlight died. Then he changed. Eventually, he was gone. I can't really remember what happened that day."

This was a clue to Creekstar's past. A strange mystery that Heronpaw was starting to hope to solve. Perhaps, if he could prove that Creekstar wasn't who he said he was, then maybe StarClan would revoke his leadership rights and give them to Badgertail instead. Only then would Heronpaw ever be able to rejoin RiverClan. It was a long shot, but it was the only hope he had.

"How exactly did Fernlight die?"

Sootpaw shrugged. "I don't know. Duskpool wouldn't tell us." His amber eyes narrowed as he leaned forward. "Why? What does it matter? It's all long done by now."

Not ready to give up his secret, Heronpaw was stumped by the question, and unsure of how to answer. He was just shrugging uncomfortably when the first cats began to file out of Brackenstar's den. They each marched out and rejoined the gathered Clan as Brackenstar leaped onto the overhanging branch.

"We were unable to come to a decision at this time," he answered the unspoken question. "So for now, the apprentice will be allowed to stay. When we come up with an official decision, we will let you all know."

The mottled brown tom asked, "Does that mean he'll be training as a warrior of SkyClan?"

"No, Tangleblaze," Brackenstar answered. "As of right now, Heronpaw may live with SkyClan, but he is not officially a member of SkyClan."

At his words, Heronpaw felt a familiar sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Somehow, he had known what was coming, but hearing it all over again made his heart pound with sadness. Despite all his potential, Heronpaw would never be a warrior.

_That's okay,_ he told himself, stubbornly fighting the childlike wail that was building in his throat. _You don't want to be a warrior of SkyClan anyway._

Brackenstar looked down at Heronpaw. By now, the sun was setting. How had the day gone by so fast? "Get some rest, Heronpaw. Tomorrow, the hard part begins."


	15. Chapter 13

_Tomorrow the hard part begins…_

Heronpaw mulled that statement over again and again in his head, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it meant. What did Brackenstar mean, the hard part begins? What hard part?

Sleep was hard to come by. The SkyClan apprentices' den was uncomfortable in comparison to the RiverClan apprentices' den. The nests were comprised of moss and large maple leaves in stiff twig nest shapes. The wind howled into the hollow all night long, louder by far than in the RiverClan camp. Mostly, the total lack of river-sound made his heart ache. This camp wasn't home, RiverClan camp was. And as much as he knew he could never go back, he really wanted to.

Sleep evaded him. The other apprentices were all long asleep by now, which said something considering their new visitor. To say that they had reacted badly would be an understatement. There were five SkyClan apprentices. Four of them had made it clear that they hated him. There were three older apprentices: Willowpaw with her sleek gray fur and light blue eyes, Mistypaw, with her mottled gray fur and amber eyes, and Streampaw, with his light gray eyes and gray and white fur. They had each regarded him with disdain, and slept now with their backs to him. Sootpaw had a littermate, Heronpaw learned when he'd followed the eager apprentice to the den. Bearpaw had reacted so poorly to Heronpaw he had been afraid to sleep in the same den as her. Upon his entering the den, she had sleepily lifted her head and showed him her teeth.

At least Sootpaw seemed to like him. The gray tom had helped him make his nest and shared a large bird with him. Long feathers had nearly choked Heronpaw during that meal, and he had gagged at each bite. Desperate to fit in, though, he hid his discomfort and ate with his head high. At least he had food, no matter how gross.

There was no sleeping with this strange noise! His heart ached for the familiar roaring of the river. In his mind, he tried to imagine it as clearly as if it were there, outside the den. When he closed his eyes, he could almost hear it, an echo of the real thing, roaring a long way away.

At some point, he must have slipped into a dream. Some dream it was, too. He was following the river path on the RiverClan side of the border. Up ahead, he could hear a cat crying in pain. He had to get to her. Not knowing how he knew, he knew that he was the only one who could save her.

He pushed aside the reeds ahead of him, desperate to help the screaming she-cat. But when he entered the clearing, the screaming stopped. Up ahead, he saw the shape of a cat, sitting and watching him with clear blue eyes. They were round and full of light, wise in their own way. Cautious, Heronpaw took several steps toward her. He was in awe of her, her light gray tabby fur sparkled with starlight. Her tail, like a beacon of light, wrapped around her paws. Heronpaw gazed up into her beautiful eyes and asked, quietly, respectfully, "Who are you?"

The she-cat opened her mouth and a very strange voice answered, "Heronpaw."

He shook himself, sitting up in his nest as his name sounded again. "Heronpaw!"

Heronpaw looked around, utterly confused. Where was he? Who was calling his name? He cast his memory around and finally recognized his surroundings. This was the SkyClan apprentices' den. The cat calling his name was Sootpaw.

"Sootpaw! What's going on?"

The gray apprentice blinked at him, his amber eyes wide. "You were stirring in your sleep. Are you okay? Were you having a nightmare?"

His concern filled Heronpaw with brotherly warmth. It was nice that Sootpaw cared about him when it seemed like all of SkyClan had hated him yesterday. Even more so since RiverClan had started hating him. Sootpaw was acting exactly the way any one of Heronpaw's five siblings would have if they had been with him. A flash of sadness pierced him straight to the marrow. Had his siblings slept at all these last few nights? What were they doing right now? Then his heart hardened. Did his siblings still care about him, or love him? After all, their loyalty did have to go to RiverClan above all others, including family. Now that he was officially considered a RiverClan traitor, didn't that mean that they had to consider him less than lovable? The very thought made his head ache.

At least he had Sootpaw, and in his own odd way, that meant very much to Heronpaw.

He tried to smile at the gray apprentice. "I'm fine," he lied smoothly. "What's going on?"

Sootpaw did not look entirely convinced, but he let it slide. "Sunblaze told me to wake you. Our mentors are coming for us to take us out soon."

"Mentor?" he asked aloud. He had not expected a mentor. Something about not being a full member of SkyClan had given him the impression that he would not be training with anyone. And yet, here one was coming for him now. When he stepped out into the pre-dawn light, his heart skipped a beat. The golden tom, Sunblaze, was approaching. Beside him trotted a cat who could only have been his sister. They had identical faces, down to the pointed chin and flicking ears. She had the same long, golden fur, and green eyes. Sunblaze had a broader, stockier body shape than her, with her graceful and slender form. But it was no matter. They could only have been related.

When Sootpaw spotted them coming, he sat up ramrod straight. His paws tucked under him until he was at attention. "Look alive," he hissed in an undertone to Heronpaw. "That's Daisysong- our _deputy_!"

Daisysong was the SkyClan deputy? He had always thought the SkyClan deputy was a tom named Hollystripe. That's what he'd heard back in RiverClan. Daisysong certainly didn't look threatening. She was very tiny in comparison to her brother, who looked like a much more suitable choice. Her green eyes were sharp, though. Under her long pelt, he could see her muscles rippling.

When she approached, she got right to business.

"All right, Heronpaw. Brackenstar's says that I am to mentor you while you are staying with us. This is because either, you will be promoted to warrior at the end of your training, or you will be asked to leave, at least having the skills it takes to survive in the wild." That made sense. They were going to train him like an apprentice until he had enough skill to either be a warrior, or be a loner. Well, that was kind of them to prepare him for the wild.

"What will we be doing today, Sunblaze?" Sootpaw asked eagerly.

The golden tom cocked his head to one side. "We're going to go out with Daisysong and Heronpaw for a hunt."

This surprised Heronpaw, though he wasn't sure what exactly he had been expecting. What, had he thought that he'd get a tour of the territory? He supposed that learning their hunting techniques would be interesting, though he didn't know what exactly they hunted. He had heard that SkyClan was famous for their hunting technique, as no other Clan could copy it. Not even ThunderClan, who also lived under trees, had ever managed to catch a bird the way SkyClan did. Heronpaw had never seen any SkyClan cats before, and it wasn't a discussed topic in RiverClan, so he wasn't entirely sure what exactly he was walking into today.

But if he wanted to stay in SkyClan and solve the mystery of Fernlight's death, he had to convince them that he was one of them. If that meant hunting the way SkyClan hunted, then he was going to have to accomplish it, whatever it was.

The four cats padded into the forest. Heronpaw struggled to keep up with them as they made their way in and around the trees. He was sure that they were going this fast on purpose. Somewhere in his brain, he thought that they were trying to make a point to him. So he made it his purpose to keep up as best he could without complaint. His RiverClan paws, unaccustomed to the rough forest ground, got easily tangled in any bramble or brush in his way. Until he figured out how to navigate the forest floor (a thought that made him shudder), he would just have to deal with the rough travel.

Daisysong led the group along this rugged path until they came to a spot chattering with different birds overhead. Only the sound of the birds met their ears, and they were way above the cats in the trees. Quietly, Daisysong indicated a bird on one of the lowest branches of the trees near them. Heronpaw wasn't entirely sure what that bird mattered, as it was not low enough for the cats to catch. With her tail, she motioned toward where Sunblaze was whispering something into Sootpaw's ear. Heronpaw knew that this time, he was meant only to watch.

Sunblaze took a step back and allowed Sootpaw to approach the tree. The apprentice had a look of extreme concentration on his face. A split second before it happened, Heronpaw knew exactly what Sootpaw was going to do. Only he didn't believe in that second that the small mottled gray tom could do it.

Sootpaw took in a deep breath, his sides contracting as he did. The apprentice's muscles bunched beneath him, and then sprang. With an almighty heave, Sootpaw launched himself into the air and landed, squarely on the branch, right where the young sparrow had been not a second before. Heronpaw stood, amazed, as the apprentice circled on the branch. Low hanging as it was, it was still pretty high up. Suddenly he understood why the other Clans were so respectful of SkyClan's hunting. Certainly no RiverClan cat could have done that!

"Mouse-dung!" the apprentice spat.

"It was a good try," Sunblaze answered casually. "You breathed a little too loud. The sparrow knew you were coming."

"That was a good leap, though," Heronpaw muttered, impressed.

Daisysong flicked his mouth with her tail. "The leap is only good if you don't alert your prey," she responded sternly. "Sootpaw will have to try again." Heronpaw watched as the gray apprentice slithered down the branch to a low enough portion to jump down from. He landed smoothly, his muscles rippling underneath his pelt. It was amazing how much these cats had adapted to their landscape. They could jump into trees! That certainly wasn't something Heronpaw had ever tried.

He gulped, realizing that he was expected to do it. Even though he had no past experience, the SkyClan warriors were going to expect him to jump into trees. Is this what it took to survive? He could only hope that even now, StarClan was watching over him.

As if StarClan were reading his mind, he heard from behind him a bird chirp. Daisysong indicated with her tail, and Heronpaw twisted to see Sootpaw's sparrow had returned to its perch, watching over the cats below with a slight disdain. As if mocking Heronpaw for his inability to jump into trees, the bird chirped even louder and ruffled its feathers at him. He glanced at Daisysong and Sunblaze, hoping that Sootpaw was going to have to go after the stupid bird again. Sunblaze just stared back, and Daisysong crouched.

"Listen," she murmured quietly in his ear. "Crouch like you would before any other jump. Take a deep breath before jumping," she added. "It'll help you spring your muscles easier. When the time comes, concentrate on your _landing_ , you got that? Don't worry about being able to jump high enough, or even if you'll catch the bird. Just think about landing right where the bird is. You're a cat. Your body should do all the work for you."

Heronpaw took a deep breath in and nodded. Whatever was going to happen, now he knew was the time to prove that he could handle it. Rather than fall to pieces, he had to get this just right. _Maybe catching the bird is too much to ask of yourself,_ he thought quietly. _But at least jump into the tree!_ He didn't know why it was so important to him that he jump in the tree. SkyClan would benefit more from the prey rather than the jump. Yet somehow, he felt his place in SkyClan and his ability to jump into the tree were inexplicably linked. In order to get to his larger goal- discovering the truth about Fernlight's murder –was dependent on his ability to prove himself to SkyClan.

Heronpaw stood at the base of the tree and looked up. It looked like a high jump. Taking a few steps back, while making his distance ultimately greater, seemed like a sensible plan. He'd never be likely to jump straight up into the tree.

Once positioned at the base of the tree, Heronpaw tried to gauge the leap distance. There was no way to word just how _impossible_ this looked. Daisysong had to have chosen this assignment because she knew he couldn't do it. This was her and Sunblaze's way of hinting their disapproval of his place in the Clan. Everyone in SkyClan wanted him gone- well _almost_ everyone. Sootpaw seemed to like him just fine. But he was the only one.

Even the bird was staring at him reproachfully. It had to know that Heronpaw wasn't going to catch it, otherwise it would have flown away by now. Instead, he could sense its growing boredom. From behind, he could almost hear Sootpaw's thoughts, _jump now!_

Heronpaw crouched, sucked in a deep breath. To his surprise, he felt his muscles coil beneath him in a manner he had hardly felt before. Still, it felt almost like home. A shred of doubt filled his head just as he made his leap, aiming right for the bird. He didn't look down. If he had, he would have seen the ground sink beneath him until it was far below. His gaze stayed locked on the stupid bird as he flew up to meet it. He had over calculated his leap. His claws snagged the bird as he flew right into the tree. He heard it's squawk as his claws ripped into it's feeble flesh. With a yelp, he flew right over the branch and careened to the ground far below. With a last attempt to save himself from a horrible crash landing, he stuck a paw out and caught hold of the branch. His muscles burning with effort, he managed to pull himself onto the branch, where the bird was trying to fly away with a broken wing. Panting, Heronpaw delivered a deathblow to it.

Down below, he could see the stunned faces of the SkyClan cats below. "What a jump!" he thought he heard Sootpaw say enthusiastically. Heronpaw himself was impressed with it. After all, it wasn't every day a RiverClan cat could jump right into a tree.

Carefully, he sprang down from the tree, carrying his catch. Daisysong padded forward to meet him. "That was very good," she praised him. For that moment, Heronpaw wondered how she felt. Was she disappointed in the fact that her plan obviously hadn't worked, or was she somehow proud? He couldn't tell.

Carrying his catch, Heronpaw waited patiently while the others each caught their own prey. Sootpaw caught himself a small robin, while Daisysong and Sunblaze teamed up and caught one of the biggest squirrels Heronpaw had ever seen. With each catch, the cats would leap high into the trees, sometimes overshooting the first branch and landing on the second. Sootpaw managed to redeem himself from his earlier miss with a leap so precise that even he could not have replicated it. His small robin, and his rather large cardinal were together an impressive catch. Heronpaw itched to try the jump again, to see if he could perfect it, but was not once asked to catch another thing.

The Clan was entirely awake when they re-entered camp. The strange group made their way across camp with some difficulty, carting their precious catches that were easily much too big for them. Around them, murmurs of appreciation went up as the Clan realized fresh-kill was being delivered.

Beside the fresh-kill pile, Willowpaw, Bearpaw, and Streampaw sat sharing tongues and words. When the group approached the pile, Bearpaw turned her back entirely, refusing to acknowledge even her own brother while Heronpaw was around. Streampaw clucked disapprovingly and turned to continue talking with Bearpaw. Willowpaw, however, seemed impressed.

"Nice bird," she said, indicating their catch. "All of them."

"Thanks!" Sootpaw answered for both of them. Heronpaw wasn't sure that he should say anything at all. _Was this the discrimination Creekstar felt when he joined RiverClan?_ he wondered idly. "You should have seen Heronpaw's jump! He'll fit into the Clan easily!"

Heronpaw expected Willowpaw to disagree, but to his amazement, she just nodded. "Good. The Clan needs as many jumpers and warriors as we can get."


	16. Chapter 14

A moon passed. By now, life in SkyClan was becoming familiar to Heronpaw. At first he had missed RiverClan with an ache that burned his whiskers when he tried to sleep at night. The distant roaring of the river seemed to reach only him as he pretended to sleep. During the day, he would train alongside the other apprentices.

Whatever misgivings he'd had about Daisysong faded fast. It became clear to him that she had nothing but good intentions toward him. He even overheard that she had argued in his defense at the Clan meeting on his first day here. There was no doubt in his mind that this was a very real possibility. She treated him with respect, something most mentors didn't seem to store for their apprentices.

Speaking of the apprentices, visible progress was being made. Willowpaw quickly got over her initial distaste of him and his RiverClan origins. Sootpaw remained to be his good old self. The other three apprentices still didn't like him. At least they were content with sharing a den with him.

Heronpaw knew most of the Clan by now. There were the familiar faces of Brackenstar and Floralwhisker, and of course the apprentices and their various mentors. First was Willowpaw's mentor, Firestone- a small orange tabby tom who's violently amber eyes flashed whenever he glanced Heronpaw's way. At least he didn't seem to have any interest in voicing his opinion toward Heronpaw's origins, only ever calmly correcting or praising whatever progress the gray apprentice was making.

Then there were the other mentors. Bearpaw had been paired with Goldenfeather, who was an overbearingly big golden-haired tom with dark amber eyes. Goldenfeather had a sharp tongue, and all the weight to carry his own words. In that way, Bearpaw had been paired up perfectly. Streampaw had quiet Hushpool as his mentor. She was a very young warrior, much like Birchfoot had been to Snowpaw. She was quiet spoken, with long blackish gray fur, and brown eyes. Lastly was Mistypaw's mentor, Stonetooth. Stonetooth was a well-respected cat in the Clan, one of the senior warriors and Sootpaw's (and Bearpaw's) own father.

The relationship Sootpaw and Bearpaw had with their father was something very different from Heronpaw's relationship with his father back in RiverClan. In fact, all of the cats seemed to treat each other very different than they had in RiverClan. Back home, kits had played freely, trying to outdo each other and prove themselves the better. There, they had been encouraged at a young age to play fight, and work around the camp to relieve the warriors of that duty. Easily did kits fit into the daily RiverClan life.

Here that kind of competition manifested in other ways. Kits were constantly trying to outdo each other in high jumps while their mother's watched from the shadows of the nursery with dark worried eyes. Whenever one kit seemed to get into the way of the warriors, the mothers would quickly scoop them up and draw them aside, where they would be well out of the way.

Fathers didn't seem to visit kits that often- not that they didn't love them, simply that the love between a father and kits in SkyClan was laced with a sort of respect. Here in SkyClan, cats were expected to put loyalty to the Clan absolutely first. Every day, though, the kits' fathers could be seen tussling with their offspring in the shade, giving them gentle pats and promising that one day, they would be strong warriors.

Still, Heronpaw knew nothing of what had happened to Fernlight. Once, he had dared to ask Daisysong what had happened to her. That had been during a battle training session, Heronpaw's oldest weakness, and she had cuffed him over the ear. "Are you here to listen to nursery tales, or learn this move?" Later on, she had left him so fast, he hadn't gotten the chance to ask. Somehow in that interaction, Heronpaw knew he wasn't supposed to ask.

On top of the Fernlight mystery, Heronpaw had stumbled upon a different mystery. He was pretty sure, growing up in the RiverClan nursery, he had heard tales of the SkyClan deputy Hollystripe. Yet never once was the old cat mentioned in the camp. The elders still wouldn't talk to Heronpaw, even when he cleaned their nests. Yet none of them looked like the description he had been told his whole life of the cat who supposedly had been SkyClan's deputy. One night, he'd asked Willowpaw and Sootpaw if they known Hollystripe. Willowpaw had confirmed that the old deputy had existed, but didn't recall what had happened to him or how Daisysong had come to be deputy. Sootpaw didn't remember the cat at all.

This left Heronpaw with only the question: What had become of the old deputy?

Certainly SkyClan had its mysteries! From the unanswered questions of the missing cats to the strange behaviors of the cats in the Clan, SkyClan was an enigma to Heronpaw from that first moon on. He hardly fit in here, with some cats who slunk through the shadows and never spoke to the other apprentices (and elders) and their coldness toward him. Even so, he was beginning to think of his nest in the SkyClan apprentices' den as home, and missed his nest in RiverClan less and less.

Every night he slept he dreamt of that strange StarClan cat. He could only guess she was a StarClan cat, and not simply a figure of his imagination. He contemplated going to Floralwhisker about it, but ultimately decided against it. What if she told Brackenstar he was going crazy, and needed to leave? Or worse, what if she deemed his strange dream as a sign from StarClan and made him her apprentice? Life was hard enough trying to be an ordinary cat here. The Clan Medicine Cat was as far from ordinary as you could go.

For the first time since being apprenticed, Heronpaw was not looking forward to the coming Gathering. Most certainly he would not be going. Not that he didn't want to. This would be Creekstar's first Gathering as RiverClan's leader, and his own first Gathering as a SkyClan cat. He wanted desperately to see his family, and find out how his old alliance was now. But Brackenstar had deemed him unfit to go.

"It's too soon," Daisysong had explained patiently. "And, well, you're not a full SkyClan cat yet. It would be hard to represent a Clan you're not fully part of. Besides, you wouldn't want to go to the Gathering and meet any RiverClan cats, would you?"

He'd answered "no" though it could not have been farther from the truth.

Sootpaw, who had been invited to the Gathering by his mentor, had tried to volunteer to stay back. "You deserve this," Heronpaw had told him. "You've worked hard. Your first Gathering! Go, Sootpaw. Have fun."

The gray apprentice had not needed to be told twice.

Bearpaw, obnoxious as she was, was also going. She had been stuck-up about it ever since her mentor had invited her. "Only the _truly loyal_ get to go, isn't that right, Sootpaw?"

Sootpaw winked one of his amber eyes at Heronpaw and responded, "The truly loyal, and the sort of lazy. Those who work too hard are just too tired to go."

Stonetooth padded up to them. "Are you suggesting that my kits haven't been working too hard?"

"Stonetooth!" both apprentices cried in excitement and crowded their father. The gray senior warrior was purring loudly. "Goldenfeather and Sunblaze tell me you two are working very hard. I couldn't expect anymore from my own kits."

Heronpaw watched, jealousy burning in his chest. Badgertail had once had nothing but pride for him. If Badgertail ever saw Heronpaw again, would he still call him 'son'?

Soon, the time came and the call was let out. Every cat going to the Gathering formed a large group in the center of the camp. Brackenstar at the lead, the whole SkyClan party siphoned out of the camp and disappeared into the night. Heronpaw listened for as long as he could. Too quickly did their sounds fade into the night.

Around campus, cats were lazily dozing, or pacing alertly as a sentry. Tonight's sentry was a cat named Mossheart. Heronpaw did not like Mossheart. The gray and white she-cat did not ever speak, even when asked a question. She answered every question with a nod or shake of her head, or a flash in her eyes. Mostly, she just stared. Heronpaw had overheard Mistypaw telling Willowpaw that when Mossheart was an apprentice, she had been attacked by a dog in the middle of the night, and for some reason, had been unable to speak since.

Her silence plus her knowing looks gave her a creepy image. Chills ran down Heronpaw's spine as he paced the camp toward her. "Can I go out?" he asked. Mossheart did not answer, just stared at him in her odd way. He felt as though she were trying very desperately to tell him something, but no matter how hard he listened, he would never make out the words. She did not object as he walked past though, a sign he took for a yes.

Quickly, he made his way to the nearest tree, bunched his muscles, and jumped.

Everything in SkyClan had been a dazzling mystery to him since he had started training here: Fernlight's death and Hollystripe's disappearance, Mossheart and her inability to speak, Floralwhisker and her strange connection with StarClan, his own connection to StarClan in the dreams he shared with the strange tabby she-cat. Even his jumping ability mystified him. Where did they come from, and how had they developed the way they had?

These questions and more bounced around his head as he jumped from tree to tree. The sun set by the time he managed to climb back down to the ground and make his way back to camp. It was surprising how familiar SkyClan land felt to him now. He had quickly adapted to his home here, even sometimes calling it home in his head.

Mossheart was no longer sitting at the entrance to the camp when Heronpaw returned. Duskpool- a soft-spoken she-cat –sat there instead. Her amber eyes flashed when Heronpaw appeared out of the darkness. "Oh," she said, relaxing. "It's just you, Heronpaw. You shouldn't be out on a night like this."

He didn't know what she meant by that, but he took it that she meant no harm.

It was some time before the Clan returned from the Gathering. Brackenstar padded right up to the low-hanging branch and jumped up for a Clan meeting. Not once since Heronpaw's arrival here had Brackenstar called for a Clan meeting. The cats of SkyClan just seemed to know and arrive when it was time for one, and the ones that didn't show up were informed by their Clanmates.

By now, the entire Clan had gathered below the tree and was looking up expectantly at Brackenstar. The golden leader began, "ThunderClan is still making threats. Nightstar made it clear that she had her eyes on a piece of our territory."

There were murmurs around the Clan. "What did she say, exactly?"

Brackenstar waved his tail as one of the warriors answered. "She said that ThunderClan had grown to big for the land, and that things were tough for them."

"She looked right at Brackenstar when she said it," another warrior added.

Cats cast dark glances at one another, obviously ill at ease. Heronpaw himself felt a shimmer of anger toward the opposing Clan, threatening the place he lived now. Hadn't he been through enough?

Brackenstar raised his tail for silence. "For now we will increase security along our ThunderClan border."

"What about the other Clans?" Frostheart asked. "Is it true that Creekstar is RiverClan's new leader?"

This had been the part Heronpaw had looked forward to the most. "Yes," Brackenstar answered her. "Creekstar is indeed the new RiverClan leader. He said simply that RiverClan meant no Clan harm, and that they wanted peace."

Heronpaw wasn't sure he believed Creekstar's proposition. In fact, Heronpaw wasn't sure he believed any of the things that Creekstar had ever said. But he was just an apprentice removed from his own home and forced to get along in a different Clan. What did his opinion count for other than hot-headedness?

"Russetstar said nothing on behalf of WindClan, and Toadstar said that the marsh had thawed well and ShadowClan was thriving."

The Clan seemed to be breaking up at these words. There had to be little to nothing else to report since every Clan had been spoken for. The cats began to melt away into the darkness, seeking shelter among the branches that marked the different dens. Heronpaw backed away to the apprentices' den, hoping to finally get some shut-eye.

Only, he _would_ be sleeping if it wasn't for Sootpaw. The dark form of the apprentice slid into the nursery and nudged Heronpaw hard in the side. "Hey! Do you know any RiverClan apprentices?"

Heronpaw found this a stupid question, considering he'd been born and raised in RiverClan until about a moon ago. "Yes, I do. Why?"

Sootpaw's voice raised half an octave, "Because I met a few! What was it, Icepaw?"

Heronpaw sat bolt up. "Ivypaw? Snowpaw?"

Amber eyes flashed in the darkness. "So you know them?"

"Yes, of course. They're my sisters."

Heronpaw felt hard pads brush his chest fur as Sootpaw pounded his chest lightly. "Why didn't you tell me you had sisters?" he whined.

Disappointment lurked in his chest. "Because I can't have family in RiverClan anymore. I'm SkyClan now."

Silence met his words. It was as though the other apprentices didn't know how to respond to that. Finally, Willowpaw's voice sounded in the darkness. "I don't know that I could give up Streampaw or Mistypaw, even if I joined another Clan. Were you littermates?"

Heronpaw nodded, and then remembered that no one could really see him. "Yes. There were six of us."

" _Six_ of you!" Sootpaw exclaimed. "But that's so many! What are their names? Who are they?"

Just as Heronpaw was about to answer, Bearpaw snorted in the darkness, "If you all _don't_ mind, I'm trying to sleep!" Her voice left little room for argument.

This seemed to settle it for the rest of the apprentices. They all curled up together in their nests and began to snooze. After a while the den was filled with little snorts here and there, the sounds of five sleeping cats.


	17. Chapter 15

Heronpaw was dreaming again. He padded toward the reedbed, knowing what he would find. Beyond the fronds was the clearing, open and spacious. In the center of the clearing sat the gray tabby, her blue eyes glowing in the darkness and her star-wrapped tail splayed out behind her. Her knowing eyes watched Heronpaw was he padded into the clearing. He did not automatically ask her who she was this time. This time, he had to know, but somehow knew that he wasn't supposed to ask.

He circled her, her eyes watching him until she could not longer turn her head. He paced around her, taking in her every shape. There was something familiar about her body shape, slender with a broad head. Her shoulders were narrow but her hips wide. Something about her- he didn't know what exactly –rang similar to something he already knew. Did he know this cat?

She was very small, he noted. Her eyes were a shade of cyan, very warm instead of cool. They had not blinked once since staring at him. Her tail flipped, as though she were annoyed with something. Her face was round, and he couldn't help but lean closer to her. He didn't know what prompted him to speak, but he opened his mouth to ask of her, "Are you- ?"

"Heronpaw!" an anxious mew snapped him from his dream.

Sootpaw's paw pounded on his chest making him bolt upright in such a fashion to kick some of the moss from his nest into the next nest over. Mistypaw glared up at him from her nest. "Sorry," Heronpaw tried to say, but Sootpaw cut him off.

"Heronpaw, come into the clearing!"

Confused, Heronpaw turned and stared bemusedly at him. "Why?"

It had been half a moon since the Gathering. Heronpaw felt bigger than he ever had. He had certainly grown, at least twice his size since he'd arrived at SkyClan. His paws were big and round, his blue/green eyes matching his fur, which was not a mottled gray with just a hint of mint green in it. The pads of his feet had the same rough qualities as the rest of the SkyClan apprentices. By now, he had jumped in so many trees, his back muscles had grown and hardened into wider hips. He had even started taking on SkyClan's scent. It was as if he had never been in RiverClan, or as if he'd always been in SkyClan.

Life had just been getting comfortable. Mistypaw had started behaving civilly toward him. Streampaw had offered to share a wood thrush with him the other day. Even Bearpaw didn't look quite as disgusted when he was around. Two new apprentices had been made: Mousepaw and Finchpaw. Eagerly, the new apprentices had questioned Heronpaw harder than ever about his home in RiverClan. Honest but not without guilt, Heronpaw realized he was starting to forget what life in RiverClan had been like.

Certainly, he would never forget the closeness he'd felt with his siblings, or the excitement of being made an apprentice. He could never forget the fun moments he'd shared with all of his many siblings and friends. But the small things were starting to fade from his memory. He could no longer remember the smell of the nursery, or the feeling of slick ice or cool water on his paws. He was too used to feeling of sometimes-sticky mud underpaw, of brushes running through his fur, instead of the reeds he had been used to. Not knowing what to tell them, Heronpaw had told them he was a SkyClan cat now, and didn't want to think about his life in RiverClan.

The saddest part was that SkyClan was starting to feel so much like home, Heronpaw could hardly remember feeling that way for RiverClan. At least not the RiverClan Creekripple had been a part of. His memories of RiverClan life without the ex-SkyClan cat were vague. The brown warrior had joined the Clan while he had still been a kit.

Mousepaw burst into the apprentices' den, her blue eyes glowing and her gray and white fur on end. "Guys! There are RiverClan cats in the clearing!" As she spoke, her eyes flashed at Heronpaw's direction.

As if these words had supercharged him, Heronpaw raced into the clearing, the other apprentices hard on his paws.

Mousepaw had not lied to him. There in the clearing sat Petalcloud, her face cool and collected. His tortoiseshell fur did not stand up as cats circled them. "Aren't there enough RiverClan cats here?" he heard Pebbleclaw mutter to Frostheart. The gray she-cat nodded.

Heronpaw's heart leaped as he realized who was sitting beside Petalcloud. The moment he saw her, taller maybe than he remembered, but whole and healthy, his heart burst. He couldn't stop himself from bursting out, "Kestrelpaw!"

Both cats' heads whipped to stare at Heronpaw. He couldn't help but notice how round their eyes were, how their hairs suddenly stood. It occurred to him that they probably hadn't known he was here. After all, when he'd left RiverClan, he hadn't had a specific destination in mind. But seeing them, alive and well, made his heart leap. Especially the sight of his sister.

"Do you _know_ them?" Hushpool asked, not without kindness.

"Kestrelpaw is my sister," he admitted sheepishly.

Sootpaw stood beside him, eyes wide. "Your sister's a medicine cat apprentice? Why didn't you tell me?"

That question seemed to be asked a lot pertaining to Heronpaw's siblings. Truth was, Heronpaw was scared. He knew that his old comrades in RiverClan probably didn't like him anymore, and wouldn't want to be associated with him. Sad as it was, Heronpaw found that before he'd been unable to face it.

Now his sister was here, and he had to.

Uneasy, he padded over to where the RiverClan cats were sitting. They eyed him warily, as if unsure of his intentions. No. On second glance, _Petalcloud_ was eyeing him warily, but Kestrelpaw was sitting tall and watching him calmly, as if there could be no surprises. Her eyes were clear and calm, if slightly unfocused as he approached. Her muscles were not tense; face not one of disgust. She held herself with the same spooky manor Floralwhisker did, and Orangeleaf did not.

"Hello, Heronpaw," Petalcloud said coolly. Heronpaw glanced up at her, realizing that they were about the same size. "How are…you?" It was as though she didn't know what to say. Heronpaw vaguely wondered if Petalcloud seeing him here cemented the idea of his being a traitor in her mind.

"I'm fine," he answered shortly. "Trying hard to…turn a new leaf." He answered quietly, aware that most of the Clan was listening to their conversation. "Being loyal to my new Clan is very important to me."

Petalcloud narrowed her eyes. "That's good." She didn't sound like it.

Heronpaw ignored Petalcloud and addressed his sister. "Kestrelpaw! You've changed."

"So have you," she answered, her voice neutral. Heronpaw's heart sunk. This was not the warm reunion he would have envisioned with his sister.

"How are the others?" he asked. It was a loaded question. He wasn't just asking about their well-being.

Kestrelpaw seemed to understand this. "Otterpaw is well. He has grown very loyal to his Clan. Ivypaw has been training extra hard and mostly keeping to herself. Snowpaw has been living it up as the Clan deputy's apprentice." Heronpaw wasn't sure whether to feel surprised to hear that Birchfoot was Clan deputy.

Petalcloud watched with distaste. Heronpaw thought maybe she didn't like where this conversation was going. "Sablepaw has been working extra hard around the Clan. She has been single-handedly taking up the duties Falconbeak and Robinflight have left behind. Although the young warriors have all taken a roll in cleaning out the nursery now that Applefur's litter have come in."

Heronpaw's ears pricked. "Applefur's litter has come in?"

"Yes," Kestrelpaw answered excitedly. "It was my first kitting. Four healthy kits!"

Right then, Brackenstar appeared with Floralwhisker. Heronpaw saw his cue and took a step back to allow them through. The leader threw him a suspicious glance but Floralwhisker ignored him entirely. She dropped a bundle of herbs at Kestrelpaw's feet. "Here you are, dear," she said quietly. "Come back if you need anything else." The two she-cats shared a glance that Heronpaw didn't miss.

Kestrelpaw dipped her head, picked up her bundle, and made her way across camp. Petalcloud said a quick thank you and followed. "Daisysong, take a patrol to escort them out," Brackenstar ordered.

"Beetletail, Firestone, Willowpaw, let's go!" And the deputy raced away, leaving Heronpaw sitting in dejection. The information Petalcloud and Kestrelpaw had given him made him think. Firstly, he could gauge his family's reaction to his banishment. Otterpaw must believe it, otherwise he wouldn't be so stuck up and loyal. Snowpaw's message was a little more cryptic. Although his sister was a little hotheaded, she was also very sensible. He couldn't imagine her believing for one instant that Heronpaw would go traitor. Sablepaw, he couldn't tell. She was just hard-working. Kestrelpaw had become a medicine cat, secure in her place in the Clan. The others he could easily see trying very hard to prove their loyalty after their brother's banishment.

The fate of RiverClan could not have been more difficult to understand. They had come for herbs, or so they said. Creekstar had made Birchfoot- a young and inexperienced cat his deputy. Birchfoot was also incredibly loyal to Creekstar. Orangeleaf- as Heronpaw had seen –was also incredibly loyal to Creekstar. That meant that Creekstar had complete control over RiverClan. Whatever he chose RiverClan was his to command.

Heronpaw turned to Brackenstar. The Clan leader was still standing there, watching him carefully. Had he looked too forlorn? he suddenly panicked. But Brackenstar waved his tail. "Must have been hard, seeing your sister. She seems to be making a fine medicine cat."

And with that, the brown tom padded back to his den.

Deciding to make himself useful, Heronpaw began to clean out the nursery. He squeezed into the den and was immediately pelted with small balls of fluff.

"Heronpaw!" one of the kits squealed.

"You're back!" cried another. The current queen, a cat named Ravenswoop, stared at him as if he were unfamiliar.

"I'm back!" he agreed enthusiastically. "I'm here to clean out your nests!"

Heronpaw was rather fond of Ravenswoop's kits. She had three kits: Crowkit (a muscular black tom, who looked rather like his mother), Minnowkit (a light gray tabby she-cat), and Featherkit (a light gray tabby tom). Each kit had a quality that Heronpaw really liked. Crowkit was strong, and bold. He was the kind of kit that demanded the apprentices show him battle moves so he could practice in advance. Minnowkit was inquisitive, asking questions about things around the territory. All in all, the young girl was eager to start her training and learn. Featherkit was more observant than his sister, but just as curious into his environment. Featherkit was a little stuck-up, but at the same time, thoroughly loyal.

The best part about the kits was that they didn't know much about Heronpaw's origins. At one and a half moons old, they had not been old enough at the time to witness his entrance into SkyClan. Now they were three moons old, and with Heronpaw already smelling like SkyClan, he wasn't entirely sure they _knew_ he was born elsewhere.

The kits squealed with delight. "Can we help?" Minnowkit asked eagerly, but Ravenswoop stood.

"Come on kits," she prompted. "Let's go visit your father."

"But Boulderstep's probably busy!" Featherkit argued. "And we're big enough to do it!"

Heronpaw remembered being three moons old. Never would he have envisioned talking to Icebreath like that!

Ravenswoop would not have it. "I'm sure that Boulderstep can spare a few moments for his kits. Now come on."

What could have driven Ravenswoop away from him? Was she upset that he'd stopped to speak to his sister? Most of the Clan probably did not approve of him communicating with his lost siblings, but it was the only thing Heronpaw could think of. It was hard sometimes to see the cats of SkyClan as a family sometimes, knowing that he was an outsider, and that his RiverClan family would probably never speak to him again.

The chance to speak to his one neutral littermate was an option that could not be passed up.

In his mind, Heronpaw tried to envision his siblings in RiverClan. Their lives were more than likely very different than his life here. They would be training extra hard, especially now that Falconbeak and Robinflight had been made warriors. That meant that they were next in line for warriorship. With a start, he realized that that wasn't really far off. Warrior training differed depending on various factors. For instance, Willowpaw, Streampaw, and Mistypaw could not be far off their own warrior names. All that his siblings back in RiverClan needed was to finish their battle assessments, and travel to the Moonstone.

Heronpaw's head ached as he saw in his head his siblings getting their warrior names without him. What kind of names would they get? Would they be happy with them? Kestrelpaw was different than her siblings. Heronpaw didn't know what all exactly it took to become a full medicine cat, but based on the way his sister had acted today, he could tell that she was really close. Orangeleaf would be the one to assign that name. What kind of name would he give her? Whatever it was, Heronpaw hoped she liked it.

By now he was ready for new moss. Tired of going out into the forest to fetch fresh moss, the apprentices had started stockpiling moss in the back of Floralwhisker's den. Of course, they made the new apprentices fetch it. Before it had been Heronpaw, but at least the young ones didn't seem to mind.

He pulled scraps of moss toward him and headed into the clearing. He got about halfway across when it happened.

Mistypaw suddenly burst into camp, eyes wide. Most of the warriors were lazing about camp, enjoying a warm and sunny day. As soon as Mistypaw entered the camp, though, they changed from their relaxed positions into guardians, standing with their fur shimmering on end. Ravenswoop scooped up her three kits and herded them into the nursery, eyes wide and tail fluffed.

"What's happening?" asked Daisysong. Heronpaw hadn't even seen her return.

The gray apprentice circled herself, eyes wider than Heronpaw had ever seen them. "ThunderClan!" she gasped. "On the border! Stonetooth!"

At the sound of his friend's father's name, Heronpaw whipped around and sought out Sootpaw. He didn't see his amiable acquaintance at first, but glimpsed Bearpaw across the camp, with anger glittering in her eyes.

Brackenstar didn't hesitate. The brown tom was already crossing the clearing as he called to cats around him. "Daisysong, Beetletail, Goldenfeather, Sunblaze, Firestone, Boulderstep, Dogtooth, and Tangleblaze, with me! Bring your apprentices."

Heronpaw started as he realized what that meant. He would be going into battle.

His nerves immediately flared. Across the camp, he saw Tangleblaze telling Finchpaw firmly to stay put. In his heart, he wondered if he should too. After all, he wasn't really SkyClan.

Daisysong approached him, seeing where his eyes were trained. "Finchpaw only just began his training," she countered before he could ask. "But _you_ have been training for a while yet. Come, Heronpaw. It is time to give what you promised to SkyClan on your first day here."

His first thought was that he might throw up. Fear gnawed at his stomach. It wasn't like stories he had heard before from senior warriors. They had always described the moments before battles as one of calm, and thoughtfulness. Each warrior had described the moments differently, but there had always been a sense of nervousness and careful planning. Now Heronpaw understood that it wasn't nervousness. It was fear. In the back of his mind, Heronpaw wasn't entirely sure that he'd come out of this battle alive.

And ironic, wasn't it, that he'd be risking his life for the Clan he wasn't born in?

Now, he truly understood what those words- spoken at so many warriors ceremonies before, actually meant.

There wasn't a whole lot of time to think about it. In fact, thinking was hardly the issue. His brain was racing too fast for him to really keep up with one thought stream anyway. He moved on numb paws toward the battle party. Warriors were already streaming out of the camp. Daisysong joined them. Heronpaw followed.

Sootpaw was at the back of the line, waiting for him. Neither apprentice said anything to one another. Later, Heronpaw would think of quite a few things he could have said to his friend before the battle. But in that moment, nothing needed to be spoken between them. Like always, Sootpaw just seemed to understand him.

Paw thundered against ground Heronpaw felt he knew by now. His spirit soared beside him, no longer a part of him. Today, he was surrounded by Clanmates with whom and for who he would be fighting, but he had never felt so lonely. Detached from him, his spirit wandered toward the RiverClan border, hoping to find salvation there. No, he would not find anything he needed there. Creekstar had stolen RiverClan from him, and kicked him out to live here. SkyClan had taken him in, given him the home he no longer had. Here, he had friends he'd not had in RiverClan, and a closer bond to the people he did trust. In RiverClan, trust had been automatic. There, he had always known that Clanmates don't hurt Clanmates. Here, trust was earned, and not just by them. Sure, he'd had to prove himself to them, and still hadn't fully. But anyone that he'd decided to trust had had to prove to him that _they_ were worthy.

In RiverClan, he would have fought for his Clanmates because he had been told to. He'd fight for SkyClan because they had cats worth protecting.

Up ahead, they were reaching a sliver of forest where ThunderClan territory crept into SkyClan land. That sliver of land was very narrow, and very nearly connected with RiverClan's land. Heronpaw did not travel that way very often unless he was instructed to. Now that he was no longer a member of RiverClan, he did not want to think back on his times back in his birth Clan. And that was just as well, because the other members of SkyClan would not seem particularly pleased with him if he kept wandering to ogle over the border. Now that he lived in SkyClan, he needed to focus on that.

They skidded to a halt and Heronpaw was surprised when the Clan began to split into two groups. No one had given any orders. How did cats know where to go? He felt a small nudge on his shoulder, and he turned to face Bearpaw. The gray apprentice was indicating Daisysong. Heronpaw ran over to stand with his mentor. Whatever he was supposed to face, Daisysong would decide it.

It seemed that she was heading up the second patrol. Here many of the cats split. Heronpaw watched Brackenstar take the lead. Behind him, Firestone, Dogtooth, Beetletail, and Sunblaze followed. A fresh wave of terror rolled over Heronpaw as he realized that Sootpaw was going to be going in the other group. Frantically, he sought out his friend's gaze. When he found those eyes, his heart stopped beating so hard in his chest. Those amber beacons were all he had to see to believe that they would both make it out of this battle alive. They had to. Heronpaw knew in that moment he couldn't stand life half as much in SkyClan without Sootpaw there beside him.

Fur brushed him and he scented Bearpaw. She had come to say goodbye to Sootpaw as well. They could only spare a nod to each other before he left. With a solitary dip of his head, Sootpaw lashed his tail, and vanished into the ferns after his patrol. They must have been the first wave.

Which meant that Daisysong was leading the second wave. She gave her commands through nods, obviously not trusting her voice not to carry. _Focus!_ Now was not the time to let his mind wander.

If Daisysong's head gestures were to be trusted, they were going to jump through the trees to the battle. That made sense. Maybe. Heronpaw looked around at his companions, surprised as he saw them reacting to their nerves. Bearpaw actually didn't look nervous. She was flexing her claws, listening as Goldenfeather whispered in her ear, her eyes a glare that could kill. Boulderstep cracked his neck and bared his teeth. Daisysong was staring after Brackenstar's patrol with a look of extreme concentration on her face.

"Hey," said a deep, unfamiliar voice in his ear. Heronpaw jumped but then relaxed. It was only Tangleblaze. The warrior was not actually that old. He was just a young warrior. Heronpaw glanced at him. "Don't be nervous, alright?" The brown tom's voice was softer than Heronpaw had expected. "You're going to come out of this just fine. ThunderClan may be vicious, but even Nightstar follows the warrior code."

Heronpaw nodded. He had never spoken to Tangleblaze before, but the draw of battle drew these two together. There was no logical reason for it, but Heronpaw inexplicably trusted the warrior.

From below, there was an almighty screech. It jolted Heronpaw to a cold awakening. This was really happening. The battle was starting. The sounds were enough to make him forget everything he'd ever learned. In a few moments, he'd have to join that fray. Even from this distance, he could hear everything: the clink of claws on the ground, the ripping of fur. It was distant, but real.

Daisysong gave a nod. SkyClan leaps were not as impressive by height anymore to Heronpaw. What impressed him with Daisysong's leap was how silent it was. Daisysong didn't wait. She gripped the branch with her claws, and then pushed off the leap with her powerful hindlegs and flew, briefly, in the air. It lasted on a second at best, and she was gone into the branches of the next tree.

Boulderstep went next. When he too had vanished, it was Bearpaw's turn. She paused just a second before she jumped. Then went Goldenfeather. Now it was his turn. He took a deep breath and jumped into the tree. That was the easy part. Earlier in battle training, he had practiced jumping from tree to tree. He had always thought it was supposed to be a strengthening exorcise. Now he knew. SkyClan cats really jumped from tree to tree before a battle.

It was easy in theory. If you leapt from tree to tree, you'd never need to touch the ground or put yourself in potential danger. You just jump from one branch to another. In reality it was so much harder than it sounded. Firstly, the distance between two trees was a lot wider than one would think. Secondly, you had to aim very precisely to land on the branch and not just fall to the ground. But all of those things were nothing compared to the fact that you had to do the jump blind. In the trees, you could not see exactly where you wanted to land. So in the end, it all came down to luck.

In his experience, Heronpaw had not gotten the impression luck was on his side.

He bunched his muscles and didn't give himself a second to back down. With an almighty heave, he launched himself across the open space. Leaves reached out to brush his face, blinding him. He only had a second to find his landing and put his paws in the right place. Side stiches stabbed him after his effort. After one second to appreciate his jump, he followed the path Daisysong was weaving through the branches.

The leaves rustled as Tangleblaze came from behind. Carefully, the six cats made their way over so they could see far down below.

The battle was shocking. Cats tore into cats with a ferocity that made Heronpaw's hair stand on end. He couldn't pick out Sootpaw's pelt specifically, but there were a couple of fights that caught his eye. Dogtooth had pinned a gray tom by his neck. There was Beetletail, teaming up with Firestone to face a massive black tom. The fighting was definitely gruesome, but Heronpaw couldn't stop a breathed, "Wow…" from escaping his throat. It was scary, and sad, and yet somehow, seeing the power with which his friends in SkyClan fought was incredibly strengthening.

There was no saying who was winning. His eyes roved around for Brackenstar, and wasn't surprised to find him taking out two ThunderClan cats with one swipe. Brackenstar was a big tom. He had always seemed indestructible.

"Get ready!" Daisysong's whisper broke his reverie. The golden she-cat was crouching at the edge of her branch, ready to jump. All of the others were crouching too. Tangleblaze turned and stared at him with a solemn look on his face. Heronpaw felt calmer looking at the young warrior's gaze. At long last, Daisysong gave the signal, "Now!"


	18. Chapter 16

Heronpaw crouched at the end of his branch, picking out a pair of tussling cats. It looked as though a large cat had Willowpaw pinned. Concentrating on his landing, Heronpaw shoved off the branch with a battle cry. It felt like the world was moving in slow motion. Gravity found his stomach and a sickening feeling clamped his gut as he had a split second of free fall. His paws lashed out last second and snagged the warrior off Willowpaw. He tucked in his head under his shoulders and landed in a roll. The world around him blurred as he spun for a few tail-lengths before coming to a halt facedown with a muffled "Oof!"

He barely had time to get his bearings. The world was just coming back into focus when sharp claws gripped his backside. "Agh!" he screeched as pain seared through him. Suddenly, the pain was gone. He sat up and turned around to see Sootpaw dragging a small gray she-cat off of him. He was surprised at how vicious Sootpaw looked. His eyes were bright, his teeth flashing and his claws bloody. Heronpaw stoop up and lunged at the she-cat, his battle training coming back to him. He bit into her paw until she screamed. When Sootpaw let go of her, she raced away into the forest with a heavy limp.

"Thanks," Heronpaw breathed.

"Don't mention it," Sootpaw responded. "Look out!"

Heronpaw ducked as a heavy footed tom launched over him. He was surprised that the tom didn't land on his feet, but on his side, breathing heavy. There was a large gash on this strange cat's side. He obviously wasn't causing anymore trouble.

But a sly she-cat approaching him had trouble written all over her face. "SkyClan scum!" she shrieked. She flung herself at him as if in slow motion. Remembering what Daisysong had said about balance, he stepped to the side and reached a paw out to catch her paws as they went past. This sent the she-cat into a roll. She sprawled out onto the ground, her belly up. Taking advantage of her situation, he launched himself on her and dug his claws into her chest. There was an agonized cry, and then determination hit her eyes. Her claws found his back. It stung like fury.

"ThunderClan, retreat!"

Heronpaw looked up. A black she-cat with smoky amber eyes was standing atop a log. This had to have been Nightstar, ThunderClan's leader. At her cry, the enemy warriors began to back off. Caught off guard, Heronpaw took the full blow to the face when the she-cat he'd been fighting slashed him hard across the cheek. Then she was gone.

From around him came disgruntled cheers. They had won.

Back at camp, all the cats who were in the battle were sitting in clumps around the camp. Some warriors sat around smiling and talking while others were being treated by Floralwhisker. For the first time, Bearpaw was letting Heronpaw join the group, and all four apprentices who had been in the battle sat together, reliving every moment.

"I sent that boy running," Bearpaw gloated. Her one eye was shut, but otherwise, she seemed unhurt. Willowpaw had a couple of scratches and a wrenched claw. Heronpaw's face was slowly swelling, but otherwise, he felt fine. Sootpaw seemed okay, but his eyes were distant.

"Sootpaw, we won!" Heronpaw said, trying to cheer him up. "What's wrong?"

But Sootpaw shook his head, and wouldn't answer.

Floralwhisker approached. "Oh my," she said, looking at Heronpaw. "That's quite a scar you've got there." She began then to work on his scratch, chewing up a pulp of thyme and smearing it on his cheek.

"Floralwhisker," Hushpool said breathlessly, approaching. "Beetletail really needs a wrap on his tail."

"I'm busy right now," Floralwhisker answered. "I can't do two things at once."

"But it won't stop bleeding," she pleaded. "He needs help."

The medicine cat pondered for a moment. "Sootpaw. Come here. I need you to help your friend. Keep chewing this up and put it on his wound. When it's ready for a wrap, come and get me." With that, the medicine cat disappeared.

Sootpaw did not argue being told to help. In fact, he helped Floralwhisker out the rest of the night. The other apprentices, who were not in the battle, helped out as well. Sootpaw slowly pasted Heronpaw's face, then got Floralwhisker. She was still busy with Beetletail, so it was Sootpaw who ended up putting cobwebs over Heronpaw's scratch.

When all the healing was done, Brackenstar jumped up onto the branch.

"We drove Nightstar off today," he began. "But who knows how long she'll stay gone."

"She'll be back, you mark my words!" Boulderstep shouted. "Nightstar was always stubborn."

"She'll have to be lickin' her wounds for days before she dares to come back," Pebbleclaw countered. "We certainly did a number on them."

But Boulderstep would not give in easy. "And what about us, eh? Some of us got pretty hurt out there!" As he spoke, he indicated Beetletail, who was laying unconscious on the ground while Floralwhisker worked on him. His mate, Frostheart, was curled up next to him, looking worried.

Pebbleclaw was insistent. "We gave them more wounds. And there isn't anything out there our Beetletail can't recover from."

There were agreeing murmurs around the Clan. Brackenstar addressed the medicine cat. "Floralwhisker, will he recover?"

"He'll be fine," she answered readily. "He has a pretty bad back wound, and his tail has been cut real deep. We'll have to watch for infection, but otherwise he's fine. I told him to sleep because he was exhausted. I'll move him to my den and give him a poppy seed when I'm done wrapping this."

Brackenstar nodded. "I agree that Nightstar is not entirely at rest. We need to prepare just in case she comes back. I want Dogtooth to take a patrol along the ThunderClan border. Mark every tree. I want them to get the message the next time they come back that this land it ours."

Dogtooth nodded and called Dapplepetal and Hushpool to him. Together, the three cats vanished through the entrance and into the night.

The rest of the Clan started breaking up. Floralwhisker and Frostheart were helping depleted Beetletail to his feet. Mossheart was taking up guard at the front entrance. Others were heading to their dens to sleep. Boulderstep was sitting outside the nursery with Ravenswoop, his kits all curling around him.

"Tell us a story daddy!" Minnowkit was pleading. "Tell us about the battle!"

"Yeah!" Featherkit was laughing while Crowkit was positively jumping on their father.

Heronpaw smiled, thinking back to his kithood. Moments like this with Badgertail were few and far between. Badgertail had told them stories sometimes. But with his deputy duties to worry about, on top of the Greencough epidemic and the frozen forest, there hadn't been a lot of time to hang out. It was nice to see a bulky warrior like Boulderstep take the time to spend with his kits.

"Hey," Sootpaw's voice sounded in his ear, making him jump. At least his gray friend had the kindness to look apologetic. "Sorry bout that."

"It's okay," Heronpaw answered, his heart returning to it's normal beat. "I think I'm alright." He gave his friend a second look, and saw that he didn't look too happy. "Are you?"

Sootpaw averted his eyes. "Can we go for a walk?"

Heronpaw was surprised. It was still Greenleaf, but it was getting colder at nights. Although there was still light in the sky, the sun had long since set. Something must have really been bothering him to get him to ask for a walk this late.

"Lead the way," Heronpaw invited. Sootpaw gave a slight smirk and took the lead. His gray paws brushed against the shadowed dirt as the two them padded across the camp toward the entrance. Heronpaw watched his smoky gray friend slip between the branches of the bush. He thought back to his first day in camp, and how hard it had been to get inside. That had certainly changed. The branches appeared to be close together, but once you learned the where to put your paws, it was easy to go through the right way. It always gave Heronpaw a sort of pleasure, getting through the camp entrance without any scratches. This time he even eased through without disturbing the patch on his face.

Sootpaw was waiting for him on the other side. Side-by-side, the two toms padded into the forest. If Heronpaw had paid any attention to where they were headed, perhaps things would have gone differently that night. As it was, he was paying acute attention to his friend, and didn't take notice of the direction they were heading.

"Are you okay Sootpaw?" he asked as they walked. He turned his head and looked at the boy. Sootpaw didn't answer, but stared ahead dejectedly. "Sootpaw," Heronpaw voiced firmly, moving in front of his friend. "What's wrong?"

His gray friend raised his head and gave him a look of pure despondence. "The battle…really effected me," he answered finally. "I don't know but, I thought it would be…different."

Heronpaw waited, wondering if his friend was going to reveal more.

Sootpaw took a deep breath, looking as though he were about to speak. He never got the chance.

"Heronpaw!" a voice from the bushes called. Both toms jumped, claws sliding out. A set of blue eyes blinked at him from inside the bush and a familiar scent washed over him.

He sat up. "What?" he breathed, disbelief freezing him to the core.

Three cats came out of the bush. Two of them were familiar. One of them made his heart ache. This was Splashcloud, a small apprentice that Heronpaw didn't know, and Snowpaw. Their fur clung limply to their frames, their bones protruded out of their fur. Where there was once muscle rippling beneath shining pelts, now there was a thin mange of fur over skin and bones. But the look in their eyes was the most disturbing of all. A haunted, pleading look peered out at him where normally there would be the fire of spirit. This was the look of deadened spirits, and it bored straight into Heronpaw's soul.

"Heronpaw," his sister repeated. "We really need your help."


	19. Chapter 17

"You brought them back here?" Boulderstep had never sounded more furious. "Back to our camp?" His teeth were bared in an ugly snarled. "Just because Brackenstar was kind enough to let you stay doesn't mean your whole Clan is welcome!"

Heronpaw winced. Those words stung. "I didn't know what else to do!" he responded. "They were begging for my help and- "

"Then you should have sent them home! Chase them away from here! This just proves that your loyalties are still divided, that you never felt any loyalty to- "

"Enough!" a firm voice cut across him. Brackenstar had appeared from his den, where Sootpaw had gone to fetch him. Boulderstep stopped speaking at once but his eyes were still ablaze with anger. The Clan leader's eyes were hard, and Heronpaw had to consciously stop himself from backing away as Brackenstar approached him. "Explain yourself," he ordered, his voice carrying across the camp.

Heronpaw timidly explained what had happened. "They told me they needed my help, and I told them I couldn't. I said to them that I had to put my new Clan first."

"He was very strict about it," Sootpaw put in. "He was very brave and loyal."

Heronpaw was flattered by his friend's words. They gave him confidence. Ignoring the muttering around the Clan, he lifted his head higher and continued. "After I told them they had to go back, they requested to see you, Brackenstar. I no longer felt that it was my place to send them away. It was your decision after that." Heronpaw couldn't quite meet Brackenstar's eyes. He had the feeling the leader was scrutinizing him very closely.

"I don't think you made the wrong decision, here, Heronpaw," Brackenstar said at last. "I think any warrior would have done the same." Relief flooded the apprentice at these words. He was certain that bringing RiverClan cats back to SkyClan would have been seen as high treason, and wasn't surprised to see how many of the cats were now sitting together in little groups, casting him mutinous glances and muttering quietly into each other's ears. Still, the Clan leader's words made him feel much better about the whole thing.

Here, Brackenstar stalked past Heronpaw and approached Splashcloud directly. "What are you doing here?" he demanded in his deep voice. "What is it you want?"

"We need help," Splashcloud answered immediately. Heronpaw noticed that the gray warrior was shaking. "RiverClan is falling apart!"

"Falling apart?" Dogtooth asked, his voice conspicuously even. "I notice you might not have enough food to go around, but surely – "

"Not have enough food?" Snowpaw interrupted. "You act as though RiverClan doesn't have any at all!"

There were surprised murmurings around the Clan at her words. These three cats were obviously starving to death. If they weren't here for food, what were they here for?

Heronpaw remembered Petalcloud and Ketrelpaw's visit just this morning. They had not seemed starved. In fact, Heronpaw had gotten the impression that the Clan was more than fine from what the two she-cats had shared. Except for that secret connection that Kestrelpaw and Floralwhisker shared as medicine cats, Heronpaw was certain that he'd gathered everything from that morning's meeting, and nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Lost in his thoughts, he had missed Brackenstar's next question. Splashcloud was talking now. "Creekstar has torn our Clan apart. He controls the Clan using our blood to do it. He has a select few warriors who support him. They get all the food. Not even the kits and queens get as much food as he and his supporters get. He banished Seabreeze from camp. He said she was taking up too much of the Clan's attention. The apprentices aren't taught to hunt anymore, only to fight. And the only cats who get the promise of being made a warrior are those who support him. He said he's willing to either retire or demote anyone who doesn't follow his law."

The cats of SkyClan were listening now in mute horror. To Heronpaw it felt as if cold were trickling down his back and into his fur. So Petalcloud and Kestrelpaw coming to SkyClan had been a show?

It seemed other members of the Clan were thinking the same thing. "What about that warrior and medicine cat this morning?" Firestone asked. "Are you telling me that they were only so healthy because they support Creekstar?"

Snowpaw's lip was trembling. "Kestrelpaw would never support a horrible cat like him! She came to warn Floralwhisker and see if Heronpaw really had come here. Petalcloud does support him though. She's one of his elite guard."

Stunned, the Clan all turned to Floralwhisker. The small medicine cat had appeared from her den and approached the Clan breezily. She did not seem surprised that the whole Clan was watching her, or at all affected by their stares. She stopped in front of Brackenstar and nodded.

"Kestrelpaw has let me known at the half moon that Creekstar was causing trouble. When she arrived today, it was a signal to let me know that things were dire." She inclined her head slightly indicating the newcomers. "I think we should help them."

There was an instant uproar. "We are not RiverClan's caretakers!" Boulderstep hissed in outrage.

Goldenfeather spat, "Since when is it our responsibility to look after all the Clans who are too weak to look after themselves?"

Ravenswoop actually bared her teeth. "Think of the kits! We're already in deep with ThunderClan. Do we have warriors to spare on these cats?"

But not every cat disagreed. "Every warrior in this forest is responsible to uphold the warrior code!" Duskpool responded vehemently.

"That's the Clan leader's job," Firestone said, stepping toward her aggressively.

"You act as though you ever expected Creekstar to take care of his Clan!" Hushpool spat. Every warrior froze at her words and stared at her in horror.

Splashcloud, Tigerpaw and Snowpaw exchanged a bewildered stare at these words. Across the camp, Mistypaw and Willowpaw froze, wide eyes staring at Hushpool as though she had just said something taboo. Even Sootpaw was looking distinctly uncomfortable at these words. For a second, Heronpaw felt like he was the only one completely out of the loop. Suddenly, Snowpaw's dark blue eyes broke away from the RiverClan cats' and met his, and he knew he was not the only one thrown off by this revelation. Maybe the only one in SkyClan, but certainly not the only one in this camp.

Brackenstar stepped forward, radiating a new sort of aura, one that scared Heronpaw more than anyone ever had. He had the fleeting impression that Brackenstar was incredibly angry, and when he spoke his voice was loud, deep, and steely. "We have no idea what goes on in Creekstar's brain."

Hushpool did not back down, most unwisely in Heronpaw's opinion. Instead, she looked Brackenstar in the eye, her eyes flashing themselves, and stepped up to meet him face-to-face. "I think I have a pretty good idea what goes on in his brain, Brackenstar, as do you."

Brackenstar inclined his head, not blinking. "You're out of order, Hushpool. I'd suggest you go back to the warriors' den and think about what you're saying."

But the damage was done. "You can send me away, Brackenstar," Hushpool murmured quietly as she stalked passed him. "But they will never forget my words." She was quite right.

"What does she mean?" Splashcloud demanded as soon as she was gone. "What was she talking about?"

"That's none of your business," Brackenstar answered harshly.

"What do you mean, 'not my business'?" Splashcloud sounded angry now. "That maniac is tearing my Clan apart, of course it's my business."

Brackenstar looked furious. He was more angry than Heronpaw had ever seen him. "The going-on's in my Clan are non of your business, RiverClan cat," he snarled. "If you want to know Creekstar's history, ask him. But if you want advice, you should have asked Creekstar his history before you let him become your leader."

Splashcloud stepped up. "We didn't let anything happen. Orangeleaf said he'd had a sign from StarClan." His eyes hardened. "He told us that Fernlight was killed by one of you, and that you wouldn't investigate, Brackenstar. That's why he left. What's happening to RiverClan now is on you!"

Brackenstar looked taken aback. "Is that what he told you?"

Splashcloud's eyes softened. "Is that what happened?"

The SkyClan leader looked around at his Clanmates, eyes dark. When no cat spoke up, he began, "I guess I should tell you." His dark eyes narrowed. Heronpaw leaned forward unconsciously. This was it. He was about to learn the mystery of Creekstar's past.

"After Fernlight died, my old deputy, Hollystripe and I decided to complete a silent investigation. It took us a while, but we eventually figured out what had happened, or at least some of what happened." He paused to take a deep breath.

Splashcloud looked distraught. "You know who killed her?"

"Oh yes, we know," Brackenstar answered. "Creekstar was right. It was a SkyClan cat who killed her."

"Well who was it?" Snowpaw asked impatiently.

Brackenstar hesitated. "Creekstar himself had killed her."

Shock filled Heronpaw to the core. Creekstar had killed his own mate? It was Snowpaw, her desperate voice higher pitched than usual, who asked the question first. "But why?"

Brackenstar shrugged. "Beats me. Never did figure out what made him do it. All I know is shortly after their kits became apprentices, he killed her."

"He wasn't quite right in the head, if you ask me," Dogtooth said. "We could all tell that something was wrong, even before she died."

"If only we had known what was wrong, we could have stopped it," Firestone said quietly. "Then she wouldn't be gone."

"But we didn't know," Brackenstar said, his voice different. Was that bitterness that Heronpaw detected. "Creekstar was insane. Hollystripe and I decided that it would be best if he were banished from the Clan."

Everyone in the Clan was looking particularly solemn now. Splashcloud was staring intently at Brackenstar. "What happened?" he asked, breathless.

"We thought he'd gone. We thought that was the end of it. But it wasn't." Brackenstar lowered his head, and when he spoke next, his voice cracked. "He came back in the middle of the night when Hollystripe was on guard duty. He killed him."

Heronpaw's heart shuddered in his chest. This is what had happened to Hollystripe? This was the dark secret he'd been wondering about ever since arriving at SkyClan? No wonder SkyClan had been so slow to trust him so far. Here he'd arrived telling them that Creekstar was now the leader of his birth Clan. They probably thought he'd been sent to spy on them.

The RiverClan cats were looking at one another now, mouths agape in horror. "Creekstar really did all of those things?"

"Yes," Dogtooth answered. "And now he's leading your Clan."

He didn't know where the gray apprentice came from, but very suddenly, Sootpaw was beside him, whispering in his ear. "Are you okay?"

Heronpaw jumped. He had not expected the other apprentice to be right there. "I'm fine," he lied. The horror of what was happening in his birth Clan was almost too much to handle. How could this be happening? How could Creekstar do this to his people? His heart thudded painfully in his chest. If only Reedstar had sent him away! Then this wouldn't be happening to him, to his Clan. He would still be in RiverClan, blissfully unaware of the problems SkyClan had had with the warrior. Creekstar would have moved on and maybe found someone else to terrorize. Reedstar had just been too kind. And look at where it had gotten everyone!

But as quickly as his anger towards his past leader came, it went. Reedstar hadn't known what Creekstar had done. RiverClan had been starving with too many cats to feed, too much snow to get through, and not enough warriors hunting. In the end, she did what she thought was right.

His green eyes looked up at Brackenstar. The Clan leader was watching him. What if Brackenstar had not allowed him to stay with SkyClan? Where would Heronpaw be now? What in the future would be different without Heronpaw here?

The leader looked away from Heronpaw and back to their visitors. "It is getting dark. I think it's unsafe to travel back to your Clan in the darkness. For now, you will stay here in the clearing. Daisysong will organize a guard for you."

"We don't need a guard," Splashcloud protested. "We need help."

"SkyClan cannot help you," Brackenstar answered. "There is nothing to be done."

Splashcloud looked furious, but didn't answer. Instead, he and the other three StormClan cats huddled together and whispered to each other. Daisysong was watching them with a look of sadness before turning to Duskpool. "Fetch them each one mouse. Then stand guard over them until moonhigh. Then it is Mossheart's turn."

Duskpool dipped her head and raced away to the fresh-kill pile. Everyone was still talking, sitting around in clumps. Brackenstar was nowhere to be seen, probably returned to his den. Heronpaw turned to Sootpaw, concerned. "So we're not going to help them at all?"

Sootpaw shrugged, his eyes dark. "There's nothing we can do, is there?"

Heronpaw thought about it. His first thought was that they could chase Creekstar out. His claws dug into the earth as he imagined chasing the horrible cat away from his birth Clan. But then common sense came back to him. That was loyalty to his birth Clan. He could no longer harbor those feelings. SkyClan was already having trouble with ThunderClan. His heart sank like a stone in water. They couldn't help his birth Clan.

In another life, he would have expected this moment to feel different. Instead, he felt a numb kind of horror that filled his limbs until they couldn't move. With massive effort, he turned away from the RiverClan cats and padded to the apprentices' den. He could not talk to them, he could not ask about his other siblings. He could not afford to spend more time on them. His heart pounded. When he had come to SkyClan, he had felt like he had lost everything. At that time, he had promised to be loyal to this Clan instead. Now that RiverClan was in trouble, and he truly had to put SkyClan first, he knew what that felt like. It was more painful that he'd imagined it being.

"Where are you going?" he heard Sootpaw from behind him.

"I'm going to my nest," he muttered.

Running paws pounded on the ground as Sootpaw caught up with him, "But RiverClan— "

Heronpaw had had enough. "What do you want me to do about it, Sootpaw?" he asked sharply, glaring desperately into his friend's eyes. "How am I supposed to help them without betraying SkyClan?"

Sootpaw only shook his head. Empty bitterness filled Heronpaw's cold stomach. "That's what I thought."


	20. Chapter 18

His nest was warm and his dreams were disturbed. He saw that silver she-cat again. Wordlessly, he approached her. This time, he didn't circle her, he just sat down in front of her. Together, the two of them shared a moment, passing sad looks and taking deep breaths. His curiosity for her identity had waned. In the wake of RiverClan's troubles combined with his inability to do anything about it, the name to her face didn't matter as much anymore.

The dream came to a close and he awoke with a start. It was still dark out. Leaning forward, he peeked outside the den. Mossheart was on guard duty, but it looked as though the RiverClan cats were fast asleep. He tried not to linger on Snowpaw's glowing white pelt. His head pounding, he decided to curl up and go back to sleep.

The rest of the night, he slept dreamlessly. It was more restful that he could imagine, after having lived through a battle. Was that only yesterday that he'd done that? It felt like ages ago.

Sunlight was well streaming through the den when Heronpaw finally awoke. It must have been about sunhigh! He padded out of the den and sought out Sootpaw. The gray apprentice was helping weave a branch into the nursery. He looked up when Heronpaw approached. "Hey! He began, but Heronpaw cut him off.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I told him not to," Daisysong said from behind, making Heronpaw jump. "You fought long and hard yesterday. You deserved a break."

But Heronpaw thought he knew why they wouldn't have woken him. They didn't want him to be awake when the RiverClan cats left. Sure enough, when he looked around, he didn't see any of them. Daisysong was watching him carefully, so he chose not to say anything.

"That's awfully kind. What's my job for today?"

Daisysong nodded toward the elders' den. "We're going to reinforce the elders' den. Be wary, Onetooth is in there and he doesn't take kindly to apprentices."

Heronpaw knew all too well about Onetooth. The elder was blind as a bat, with several missing teeth. One of his ears had been ripped off his head and now he had a gaping hole there. He was usually the one to chase Heronpaw out whenever brought food. In fact the only time he didn't try to claw Heronpaw's fur off was when he brought the mouse bile to pull off ticks. Even then, the elder had been very distant and angry.

The other elders were a little quicker to forgive Heronpaw his RiverClan origins. Deadear was the oldest in the Clan. Stone deaf, the elder had loudly proclaimed one day that he didn't care who got rid of his ticks as long as they brought him food and didn't hurt him in the process. Since then, some of the other elders were kinder. Timberwolf had even smiled once.

Not all of the elders were okay with Heronpaw though. Dayflower still criticized his every move so that any nearby warrior could stop and appreciate her bullying. Sharpnose ignored Heronpaw to the fullest, and pretended whenever he was there that no one had come.

Heronpaw supposed that this was as good as it was going to get for a while. Until he became a full member of SkyClan and proved himself a worthy member, the elders were bound to treat him differently. Maybe even then they wouldn't have kindness for him. Elders were really set in their ways.

The effort it took to get the den re-woven was almost as hard as the battle had been. Heronpaw wasn't sure which he'd rather do between battle training and re-weaving. They were both pretty hard, but at least battle training was exhilarating. All of the elders had conglomerated outside their den to lay on the warm earth outside. Dayflower was telling a story about chasing a squirrel to the very top of the tallest tree.

"And then, I leapt as high as my legs would take me. Landed on one of the topmost branches I tell ya," she bragged.

"What a tale," Sharpnose snorted in disbelief. "I was on that hunt, Dayflower, and you only made it to the second branch at best."

Timberwolf snickered, but Dayflower looked straight offended. "I made it to the top I tell you! And you weren't there, you lazy coot! You were in the Medicine Den with a fever!"

Sharpnose was shaking his head. "I was not! I was on that patrol and I saw you miss that squirrel by a mile!"

"Then you're remembering a different time," Dayflower snapped. "I caught that squirrel and I leapt into that tree!"

Timberwolf's eyes had gone glassy. "Remember when Lakefrost was padding after Hazelfoot, but her own sister was padding after him?"

"Quite well," Onetooth answered dreamily. "I had never seen such a hurt look as the one on Horsefall's face when Lakefrost ignored her hunting request to ask her sister!"

"Who knows," Dayflower said. "Maybe he thought Hazelfoot was Horsefall. After all, they looked exactly the same they did!"

Heronpaw found himself chuckling at their antics. Dayflower suddenly whirled around to glare at him. "Find that funny, do you boy?"

"Relax, Dayflower," Timberwolf said casually. "Let the boy live a little."

Dayflower narrowed her eyes at him. Heronpaw felt like he was shrinking in a mix of emotions, mostly embarrassment and dejection. His gaze flicked to Daisysong, who shrugged. Now in awkward silence, the two of them continued their work on the elders' den. Dayflower kept her silent watch.

At long last, a voice spoke, "Remember when Brackenstar was named the new leader and…" Their conversation continued.

This was the first time Heronpaw got to really hear stories of SkyClan's history. The leader before Brackenstar, had been a small she-cat named Leafstar. Brackenstar's warrior name had been Brackentail. When he was an apprentice, Brackenstar and his best friend, Jaggedfang, and been caught slipping RiverClan some food. Jaggedfang had been deputy before Brackenstar, but died after a dog attacked the camp.

There were other fun facts too. Warriors who had long since passed, names he couldn't remember but tried to anyway. Faces flashed before him.

Some of the Clan that was still around was also brought up. Dogtooth and Dapplepetal had had quite many kits, most of whom had died. Not all had, though. Beetletail, Floralwhisker, and even Ravenswoop were some to name. Apparently, Hollystripe and Creekripple were also kits of theirs. They only paused long enough for that to sink in before moving on. Heronpaw found out that Sunblaze and Daisysong were littermates when Dayflower began to talk loudly of how proud she was of her kits.

By the time they were done with their grueling work, Heronpaw was filled with new information about his potential Clanmates. While he had thought he had known much about his Clanmates, now he felt like he was really integrating into the Clan. He knew more about them and their history than he ever had, and he knew what a small role he played in comparison. Perhaps, if things worked out, the elders would one day be talking about him, remembering the day when he joined the Clan. They would remember the way he fought for the Clan, and the honor he brought to SkyClan by working as hard as he did. A new sense of loyalty enveloped him, overriding his sadness and confusion. Now, he had a goal. He wanted to be the most loyal warrior SkyClan could have from him.

A dull ache formed in his heart when he thought of the hunted look in his sister's eyes yesterday, when she had come. He couldn't help her. He couldn't help any of them. That was not his responsibility. He couldn't even let the thought cross his mind if he planned on being a loyal SkyClan cat from now on.

Sootpaw and Sunblaze padded over shortly. All four of them ate a shrew while deciding what to do for the rest of the day. The nursery was nowhere near finished, but Sunblaze expressed frustration at staying in camp all day. In the end, Dogtooth and Tangleblaze agreed that they and their apprentices could finish the nursery while Sunblaze, Daisysong, Sootpaw, and Heronpaw went on a hunting patrol. They were going to go hunting in the forest. At the last moment, Daisysong redirected her attention to a border patrol, and assigned Mossheart to come instead. Heronpaw felt a little annoyed. Mossheart wasn't a great conversation partner, and Sunblaze was bound to keep things short and simple.

The hunting patrol ended up being so much fun. While Mossheart didn't speak, she did end up lightening up a little and treating Heronpaw and Sootpaw to some fun tricks. Sunblaze agreed that, as long as they caught enough food for the Clan, they could make a bit of a competition of the tree jumping, seeing who could get the highest. To his embarrassment, Sootpaw managed to leap the highest, jumping near halfway up the tallest tree.

In the end, the patrol was laughing, a little winded, as they returned to their camp. They didn't have room to talk much, because of the sheer amount of prey they had caught. Even so, seeing Mossheart pretend to struggle under a shrew smaller than her own paw had Heronpaw near doubled over. It was funny to see Mossheart with a brighter look in her eyes, even if she couldn't talk.

All in all, it had been a good day. The memory of his family and his old Clanmates was almost driven out of his mind.

Almost.

Dinner was a fun affair. Dayflower harassed Heronpaw when he brought the elders' their dinner, and Timberwolf complained loudly that he had left them to go chase mice. Sharpnose assured him that Mousepaw and Finchpaw were excellent company and even Onetooth didn't say anything nasty to him.

He ate in a group with Mistypaw, Willowpaw, Sootpaw, Finchpaw and Mousepaw. They wasted no time talking about their various duties. Mistypaw had spent the morning remarking the ThunderClan border while Willowpaw had spent the morning hunting with her mentor. The apprentices had changed the bedding in the nursery before moving to re-weaving the elders' den. Sootpaw and Heronpaw entertained the whole group by talking about the hunting patrol. Mistypaw cheered when Sootpaw announced he had one the jumping competition.

"Until you face me," Finchpaw said confidently, making the whole group laugh.

By the time they were done eating, Heronpaw was stuffy and tired. After all, it had been a long, hard day, and he had spent the majority of his time on his feet. He realized with a jolt that he had had probably the most fun day in his entire life so far. He had shared more laughs with his SkyClan companions than he ever had in RiverClan.

He was just padding toward the apprentices' den when Brackenstar's call stopped him, "Cats of SkyClan, gather together for a Clan meeting!"

His stomach rumbling nervously, Heronpaw whirled around and padded toward the center of the camp. While it wasn't his first Clan gathering, it was just as interesting to see all of the Clan gather together in one big half-circle around Brackenstar's branch. Some cats were looking curiously at one another. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who was confused.

Brackenstar waited patiently for the Clan to settle down before beginning. "In yesterday's battle, we had many cats fight bravely. I have been thinking about it all day, and have decided that it is time we name new warriors in the Clan."

Immediately an excited murmur built up in the Clan. Heronpaw couldn't help but feel his stomach contract. Who was going to be the newest warriors? He hardly dared to breathe as Brackenstar went on.

"I have spoken to each of your mentors, and we all agree that the time is right. Willowpaw, Mistypaw, and Streampaw, please step forward."

A hollow disappointment filled Heronpaw's stomach, to be replaced by shame. What had he expected, to be named a warrior here and now? He certainly wasn't ready, especially not with his RiverClan roots. He tried not to feel envy for his friends. They certainly deserved it. He watched as they padded forward and realized with a jolt that they were each about as big as the rest of the warriors in the Clan. He should feel happy for them. They worked hard for this.

Brackenstar was looking up at the sky with his green eyes. After a semi-long wait, he began, "I, Brackenstar, leader of SkyClan call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices, for they have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn…

"Streampaw." The gray tabby stepped forward. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

His voice was so quiet, yet so haughty, that Heronpaw didn't have trouble hearing him. "I do."

"Then, by my power as Clan leader, I rename you Streamripple. SkyClan values your honor and your bravery, and we welcome you as a full member of SkyClan!"

Brackenstar touched his nose to the new warrior's head and Streamripple licked his shoulder in return. He stepped back and the Clan, as one, chanted his new name: "Streamripple!"

Brackenstar raised his tail for silence and went on. "Mistypaw." She stepped forward, blue eyes flashing. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Mistypaw's voice was strong and clear. "I do."

Brackenstar continued. "Then, from this moment on, you shall be known as Mistybreeze. StarClan honors your strength and your pride, and we welcome you as a full member of SkyClan!"

The cats of SkyClan called together, "Mistybreeze!"

Brackenstar waited this time for silence before turning to Willowpaw. The pretty she-cat was trembling, sitting by herself at the center of the semi-circle with her Clanmates around her. Brackenstar approached her and loomed over her, speaking quietly so that every cat held on to his words.

"Willowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Willowpaw took a deep breath before answering: "I do."

"Then, from this moment on, you shall be known as Willowsong. SkyClan values your honesty, and your morality, and we welcome you as a full member of SkyClan!"

Everyone began cheering. "Willowsong! Mistybreeze! Streamripple!" calling to the stars as they congratulated their Clanmates. The Clan pressed in against the three, everyone wishing to brush pelts and share tongues with their new, fully named Clanmates.

Heronpaw stood back, not trying to break the knot surrounding his old denmates. He did share a look with Willowsong though, and nodded so she knew he cared. Finally, Brackenstar raised his tail again. "Let them be. Tonight, they will guard the camp in a silent vigil. Tomorrow, they begin their lives as warriors anew."

The Clan was still murmuring positively as it broke apart into separate groups. The warriors didn't go to their den right away, but Ravenswoop had her kits in the nursery as quickly as she could round them. Over by the elders' den, Timberwolf and Sharpnose were having a hard time waking Deadear up from where he'd curled straight up in the middle of the clearing.

Heronpaw thought longingly of his nest. The excitement of the Clan meeting, combined with the work he'd done today, and he was ready for sleep. Wearily, he padded into the apprentices' den and collapsed in his nest. He probably would have fallen asleep right away, except the other apprentices' were in a flurry, discussing what had just happened with a fever.

"Wow, that was such a beautiful ceremony," Mousepaw said with round eyes. "I hope my ceremony is that wonderful!"

"Of course it will," Finchpaw said readily. "I can't wait to earn my warrior name! I wonder what Brackenstar will name me?"

"Probably 'Brat'," Bearpaw said nastily. "It describes you both so well."

Sootpaw interrupted Finchpaw and Mousepaw's angry retort. "What an honor. And that pledge of allegiance we have to make when we're at the ceremony. Wait until our ceremonies when we make the same pledge!"

A paw nudged Heronpaw hard in the side. "Ouch!" He sat up angrily and glared at Bearpaw. "What?"

"What'd you think of the ceremony, stinky-cat?" she asked readily. After getting over the initial shock that Bearpaw actually wanted his opinion on something, he tried to answer honestly.

"I thought it was really cool. The warrior ceremonies in RiverClan were different."

"Different how?" Sootpaw asked.

Mousepaw said, "Were there different words?"

Finchpaw asked, "Do you guys make a pledge?"

"Of course they make a pledge!" Heronpaw spat, overwhelmed by the questions and a little hurt that Finchpaw still referred to him as a RiverClan cat. "But, I don't know, it just feels different. Brackenstar really brought out the meaning of being a warrior, while Reedstar always honored the cat."

Now he was tired and irritated. He really didn't want to have the conversation anymore. Sootpaw seemed to sense this, as he quieted the new apprentices. "Let's leave him be, eh? I'm sure he didn't see that many warrior ceremonies before joining SkyClan!"

Bearpaw, who still blamed him his RiverClan origins, laid down with her back to him, effectively ending the conversation. Hurt aching in his chest, Heronpaw curled up in his own nest. Despite his exhaustion, he didn't fall asleep right away. He was too agitated.

It took quite a while for the other apprentices to fall asleep. Bearpaw was surely out quicker than the others, but Finchpaw and Mousepaw were muttering to each other quietly, and Sootpaw kept rolling over in his nest. The den felt emptier than usual now that three of its members had gone. Wind rolled through the den, making Heronpaw shiver. In fact, the wind picked up until it roared in his ear. Was that rain pounding the ground outside? Where did the sound of water come from?

He opened his eyes and started in surprise.

No longer was he in the apprentice's den. He was in a sunlight clearing next to the river. Everything seemed to have a strange tint, not quite pink but definitely not red. The scent was so sweet, so at home, he felt an immediate tug in the pit of his stomach.

The strange she-cat was not here. Instead, a black tom with silvery white patches was parting the reeds in front of him, and spoke in an unfamiliar voice. "Heronpaw, I have come with a message for you."

"For me?" he asked, incredulous. "I'm not the medicine cat! And who are you?"

The tom shook his broad head. For the first time since looking at him, Heronpaw felt as if this strange cat was familiar to him. As if he had seen him somewhere before… "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that you listen carefully."

Heronpaw began to have a suspicion in his stomach. "Am I in StarClan?"

"I am in StarClan," the tom hissed impatiently. "Now please, listen!" Heronpaw listened, still as a stone. If he was really in the presence of a StarClan cat, is it possible that this cat was…but it couldn't be. "You must go back to RiverClan."

Heronpaw froze, staring at the stranger. Realization of what the StarClan cat was telling him filled his head and he snapped. "Wh-what?!" he spluttered. "Go back to RiverClan? You're mad! I can't go back there, where my Clanmates are against me and my new friends will deem me a traitor! I won't!"

"You must," said a an all too familiar voice. Reedstar had parted the fronds and was walking confidently toward the pair. "Heronpaw, listen to Hollystripe. You have to return to RiverClan."

So this was Hollystripe! Heronpaw shot Reedstar a glare and the old SkyClan deputy a curious look. He was large, broad-shouldered, with green eyes. Once again, Heronpaw was struck with his familiarity. While he had never met Hollystripe before, he as certainly a character Heronpaw had dwelt upon so often in his past that he felt as if he had met him. Maybe it was Dogtooth, his father, in him that Heronpaw recognized. They did have the same rippling muscle and face-shape. There was something else about him that was familiar, something that ringed with RiverClan. Perhaps he and his brother looked similar after all.

"I can't," he protested. "I'm not in RiverClan anymore. I'm a SkyClan cat."

Hollystripe was not impressed. "This is just as much about SkyClan as it is about RiverClan."

"You would be showing immense loyalty and courage," Reedstar added. "What Clan leader wouldn't want a warrior who cares for every cat in the forest?"

Heronpaw put up his next defense. "Brackenstar won't allow it. I barely fit in as it is, and he's already put his foot down."

"Make him see reason," Reedstar ordered. "Brackenstar does not know what trouble Creekripple will cause."

Hollystripe added, "The Brackenstar I knew would have listened to anybody who logically built their case. He is far from stupid. He'll hear you out."

Heronpaw was running out of excuses. "I can't go back to RiverClan. They'll kill me."

"It is an honor to die for your Clan," Reedstar shot back. "But you already know that."

Finally, Heronpaw spoke the question that burned him, that made his stomach contract. "Will I be dying for RiverClan, or for SkyClan?"

Hollystripe and Reedstar looked at each other, and finally an answer reached him, but it didn't seem to come from either of them. In fact, they had already started fading away, the answer coming as if on a breeze, from far away.

"Whichever you choose."


	21. Chapter 19

The smell of RiverClan filled his nose. Heart pounding in his chest, he leapt behind a clump of ferns, trying hard to blend in. Despite his moons away, his paws still slid easily, silently over the mud and reed, and he tramped easily toward…

Toward what?

Listening to the will of StarClan, Heronpaw had slipped out of camp early in the morning, telling no one where he was going. At first, he had hoped to maybe catch a patrol of RiverClan cats on the border, but after a chunk of time had passed, it had become clear that no patrol was coming. It was then he had been forced to accept that he was going to have to cross the border.

Nothing but the will of StarClan could have forced Heronpaw over that border. Being caught by RiverClan was sure death, being caught by SkyClan was sure exile, and he had almost no goal. It was just not a matter of who he was going to contact, but how was he going to get their attention. He couldn't sneak into camp, and he doubted that he'd get that far before one of Creekstar's guard caught him.

His only hope was to run into the right cat. Snowpaw would have been preferable, or Kestrelpaw, but he wondered just who he'd end up meeting.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when a weight landed on him. Despite the bones he felt through his fur, the weight was still pretty heavy. Thinking quickly, he dropped down into a crouch, preparing to fight back when a voice whispered hoarsely in his ear.

"What are you doing here?"

Circumstances were stacked against him, but Heronpaw's heart soared at her voice. "Sablepaw!"

There was a pause, then the weight vanished from his shoulder. He sat up and looked around. His sister was sitting beside him. She looked a sight! Her fur was matted in some places, bones sticking through her ragged pelt. Even her eyes had a haunted look in them. How could he let this happen? How could Creekstar let his warriors starve?

Her eyes shown surprise too, as if she hadn't expected to see him there either. "Heronpaw?" she asked. "Is it really you?"

Heronpaw shifted on his feet nervously, well aware of his sleek fur and broad muscles.

To his surprise, Sablepaw's face went from one of shock to one of pure venom. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help," he said desperately.

"Help us?" Sablepaw spat. "You can't help us. Maybe if you had come with Snowpaw and Splashcloud, we'd have help, but not anymore."

"Sablepaw, I couldn't," he pleaded with her. "I had to do what Brackenstar told me to."

Sablepaw wasn't impressed. "Funny, I seem to go about behind my Clan leader's back all the time knowing I could die if I'm caught. But I do it anyway."

Somehow, this made Heronpaw angry. "What do you think I'm doing here?" he hissed at her. "Going behind my Clan leader's back knowing I could die if I'm caught, that's what I'm doing."

Sablepaw's face slackened a little. "Fine. I'll give you that, you did come." They were silent for a moment when Sablepaw suddenly jumped up. "Get down!"

She had barely squashed him under a reedbed when stamping feet approached. "Sablepaw," Splashcloud spoke. "What are you- " The warrior cut off. "I smell SkyClan. Who's here?"

Feeling it would be counterproductive to hide himself, Heronpaw timidly stepped out from his hiding place and faced Splashcloud head on. Besides, if he was cowering behind a rock, what kind of message would that send the warrior? He was here to help, after all. How upset could Splashcloud be?

For a moment they stood facing each other, fur bristling, eyes glaring. Finally, Splashcloud spoke, "What's he doing here?"

"I'm here to help," he replied, just as stony.

"Help us?" Splashcloud spat venomously. "How are you going to help us? You turned your back on us in SkyClan. Your own kin!"

Heronpaw stopped the shame that coursed through him and began to feel anger. How come every move he made, he got blamed for something? He couldn't make peace in SkyClan because he was born RiverClan, and he couldn't make peace in RiverClan because he dared to take care of himself when they cast him out. Instead of backing down as he might once have done, he let that anger build him confidence. He stood up straight, his muscles rippled, his tail lashed, and his eyes gleamed. "Where were you all when Creekstar kicked me out for nothing? Was I, your own Clanmate and kin, not worth defending?"

Splashcloud turned away disdainfully. "Who are we to doubt the word of StarClan?"

There it was: Heronpaw's aid. "Well Orangeleaf was wrong, wasn't he? Creekripple isn't meant to lead RiverClan, and I am meant to save it." Splashcloud whirled around, suddenly interested, but it was Sablepaw who asked,

"What do you mean, Heronpaw?"

Heronpaw lifted his head. "I met Reedstar and Hollystripe in a dream. They told me that Creekripple isn't meant to be leader, and that I had to come back."


	22. Chapter 20

The sun was high in the sky by the time Heronpaw returned to the SkyClan camp. To keep suspicions at bay, he had managed to catch a fish to bring with him. That way, if anyone asked where he'd been all day, he could say he had gone fishing for the Clan.

Instead, he'd spent the majority of the day talking to the rebellion in RiverClan. Sablepaw had brought him to the resistance head, Badgertail. The old deputy had been forced by Creekstar to retire. At least his father was healthy. Snowpaw was there, as was Seabreeze. There was also Rippleclaw, Falconbeak, Tanglefur, Lionfish, Owlbeak, and two apprentices, Tigerpaw and Cinderpaw. Heronpaw found out that Orangeleaf had been confined to the medicine den when he'd tried to intervene with Creekstar, and Kestralpaw had to go about medicine cat duties entirely by herself. When he'd dared to ask about Otterpaw, he'd gotten a real shock.

"It's Otterfoot now," Snowpaw said wearily.

Heronpaw had let shock course through him. "He's a warrior already? But I thought you said that only cats loyal to Creekstar got their warrior names!"

Snowpaw was bitter. "I didn't say it was good news!"

Heronpaw had tried to ask about Icebreath, but Rippleclaw had changed the subject.

When Heronpaw had told them about his dream, Splashcloud had said that he thought it meant something really important. "But without a medicine cat's interpretation, we can't be sure what it meant," Badgertail argued.

"That means we'll have to get the opinion of a medicine cat," Owlbeak sounded irritated.

"We can't ask Orangeleaf," Lionfish breathed. "He's in enough trouble."

"And Kestrelpaw isn't a full medicine cat," Tanglefur added. "So who do we ask?"

Heronpaw was brought abruptly to the present when a branch swung into his face. It caught him just under the eye. For a moment he was blind, and he let out a yowl as his eye watered painfully. The fish fell from his jaw to the ground.

When his vision cleared, he saw Firestone glaring at him. "Move it, fish-breath!" he growled viciously.

Worried, Heronpaw scooped up his fish and followed. Although he was probably just as nervous as he had been on his first day in SkyClan, however the atmosphere couldn't have been different. Nobody in the Clan turned and glared at him suspiciously, cats did not clump together to talk about him. In fact, everyone went about their regular business. It was less like he was a potential threat and more like he was an apprentice getting caught doing something he shouldn't have been.

Firestone lead him over to where Daisysong was sitting. Beside her was Dogtooth and Beetletail. Dogtooth nodded to him while Beetletail turned away angrily. But Heronpaw only had eyes for Daisysong.

She didn't look angry exactly, more like disappointed. Whatever she was, she definitely wasn't happy. As Heronpaw approached, her bushy tail flicked and her body stiffened. This could only be bad news.

"Heronpaw," she greeted him, her voice unreadable. "Where have you been?"

Thinking quickly, Heronpaw dropped the fish at her feet and dipped his head to her. "I- I went fishing."

Firestone growled, "SkyClan don't eat fish!"

Heronpaw winced. "I know. But…I missed it…"

He looked at his paws, putting on his best shame-face. If he was honest, he was almost ashamed. Even after everything he's been through for SkyClan, he still felt some loyalty to RiverClan. It was totally wrong. Or was it? StarClan had certainly made a point to him that he was needed in RiverClan. And in the end, when he'd ask to which Clan he belonged, hadn't they said that it was his to choose? Could he still choose to be loyal to RiverClan after all that he'd been through?

SkyClan was his home now. In just a short time, he would receive his warrior name and be promoted to a full SkyClan member. If he wanted to be a warrior, he couldn't afford to think like this.

But suppose they got rid of Creekstar? Would RiverClan welcome him back?

"I understand," said a soft voice that shook Heronpaw out of his reverie. He jumped and blinked up at Daisysong. She looked almost sad, forlorn. Firestone swore but Dogtooth was nodding. "Seeing your family yesterday and learning of their predicament must have been really hard on you. Some time to yourself must have been in order."

Heronpaw didn't have a response, so he focused his energy on not looking too surprised by her reaction.

Her voice returned to its usual state. "I will accept you're running off this time, Heronpaw, but next time, make sure you ask for permission before you leave camp."

Heronpaw dipped his head and she dismissed him. Unable to believe his luck, Heronpaw padded over to the medicine den with his fish, hoping maybe Floralwhisker would enjoy the strange meal. He had never spoken to the strange she-cat. If he wanted to get any information from her about his dream, he'd have to befriend her. Unlike his previous dreams, Heronpaw wasn't worried about being turned medicine cat. This dream clearly spoke of a warrior's battle.

He dragged his slimy fish over and froze, peering into the medicine den. Sootpaw was there, holding up his paw and looking closely. There was a poultice of some smelly herb on it, and Floralwhisker was wrapping it up with some smelly plant. They were talking.

"Oh okay," Sootpaw said. "I see now. The leaf will keep the poultice on."

"Yes," Floralwhisker said. "And what do you think will keep the leaf on?"

"Obviously your excellent wrapping skills."

Both cats laughed. Heronpaw coughed to let them know he was there.

"Heronpaw!" Sootpaw jumped. He whirled around, slopping the mushy poultice down his front as he jerked suddenly. "I was- uh- that is, Floralwhisker was just showing me how to- I mean, I had a thorn in my paw and we were worried about infection…"

The entire time that Sootpaw struggled to explain himself, Floralwhisker just stared, looking mildly concerned. "Are you okay Heronpaw?" she asked, cutting across Sootpaw.

Heronpaw dropped his prey. "I brought you a fish."

"Oh fish!" Sootpaw said, jumping up. "I've always wanted to try that!" and he began to limp over.

"You'll want to be careful on that foot," Floralwhisker instructed, not looking away from Heronpaw. "Why don't you take it to share with Beetletail? He might like a little variety now that he can't leave his nest."

Sootpaw dipped his head low. "Yes Floralwhisker. Would you like to come, Heronpaw?"

"No thanks," Heronpaw answered while the medicine cat continued to scrutinize him. "I'd like to talk to Floralwhisker if she's not busy."

"A-about what?" Sootpaw sputtered while Floralwhisker just said, "Of course."

Heronpaw turned to Sootpaw again. "Stomach ache," he said guiltily. While he hated lying to his friend, he just didn't see anything good coming from telling Sootpaw the truth. After all, Sootpaw was completely loyal to SkyClan, and probably wouldn't take kindly to Heronpaw's detour to RiverClan this morning.

The gray apprentice seemed somewhat relieved as he scooped up the fish and padded out of the den, his tail in the air. Heronpaw watched him go before turning back to Floralwhisker. "What was that about?" he asked curiously.

Floralwhisker only shook her head. "Sootpaw has a lot on his mind. The battle was not kind to him." Heronpaw thought back to his conversation with Sootpaw only days ago, right after the battle. The gray apprentice had definitely been upset afterwards. If only they hadn't been interrupted, then he would have found out what was going on in his friends' mind. "But never mind that," Floralwhisker's voice snapped him back to the present. "Should I get some water mint or your stomach ache, or are you going to tell me why you're really here?"

Heronpaw grinned guiltily. "You caught me, I'm not here for a stomach ache."

Floralwhisker raised her brow at him. "I surmised as much. Why _are_ you here?"

Without preamble, Heronpaw burst into his story, talking about everything from the very beginning. He talked about Creekripple's unfair treatment of him, the dreams he's been having of the gray cat, and his most recent dream from Hollystripe and Reedstar. He talked about going to RiverClan and meeting up with his sisters and kin, about everything he'd learned from going there.

"And they want your opinion before they decide to do anything," he finished. "Because Orangeleaf is trapped in his den and Kestralpaw can't do everything on her own."

He at last took a breath, finishing his story and feeling relatively guilt free. He'd told what he'd done; he'd been honest. After everything, he didn't have to feel bad anymore. Floralwhisker had sat listening to him without interrupting, but watching him carefully.

"StarClan told you to go back?" she asked finally.

"They said that Creekstar's leadership would affect all Clans, and that I had to go back, yes."

"And they called him Creekripple?"

Heronpaw nodded before he realized that Floralwhisker wasn't really looking at him. "Yes, they did." He paused, feeling uncomfortable. "Do you think that means that Creekripple isn't meant to be leader of RiverClan?"

She nodded vaguely. "I think it means StarClan hasn't approved of what he's doing over there. They at least haven't accepted him as leader of RiverClan."

This made Heronpaw feel worse. How could he go from being relatively okay to feeling a squirm of total discomfort in his stomach in just a few moments. "Does- does that mean I don't belong here in SkyClan?"

Floralwhisker stared at him, looking surprised. "You can choose."

"What do you mean, I can choose?" he demanded, becoming exasperated. "Do I belong here or not?"

Floralwhisker shook her head. "I can't say. StarClan told you to decide, so it's really up to you."

Heronpaw lashed his tail angrily. "So Creekripple isn't meant to lead RiverClan. Who is?"

Floralwhisker shrugged. "I am not RiverClan's medicine cat, I cannot say. I'd bet my entire herb stock that it was whoever was deputy at the time of Reedstar's death."

"Badgertail," Heronpaw breathed. Floralwhisker nodded. Heronpaw was becoming a bit excited. This was it. Badgertail was meant to lead RiverClan and Creekripple had to go. Now was the time, if ever, to ask this burning question: "So what should we do about it?"

Floralwhisker blinked at him, surprised. "What do you mean? This is RiverClan's problem, not SkyClan's." Heronpaw felt a stone of disappointment drop in his stomach. This was no the answer he had expected.

"Didn't you hear me? Hollystripe told me that it would affect our Clan as well."

Floralwhisker's eyes flashed. "My brother was always very outgoing. SkyClan has changed since he has passed." Suddenly her head drooped. Heronpaw realized as he looked at her that she was exhausted. "He was a good cat, and I'm glad to hear he still is, but there is nothing we can do to help RiverClan."

"Well I'll never give up," Heronpaw snapped. "My kin are over there, in a constant struggle, and my new Clan is in danger. StarClan said so."

Floralwhisker's head whipped up to glare at him and he wondered briefly if he went too far. Yet her eyes softened and her jaw relaxed. "Of course," she said, her voice calm. "I would expect no less. In fact…yes, keep trying, Heronpaw. I won't tell anyone. But understand you are leading a double life. You must put loyalty to your chosen Clan above all else. You cannot be loyal to two Clans."

Heronpaw nodded briskly and left her den. As he walked away, he thought he rather felt put off but this medicine cat's strange behavior. Why did she seem so concerned as to have a secret signal with his sister, only to dismiss his claims the moment StarClan shows a clear sign? And why, after telling him that she didn't think they should get involved, did she tell him to do just that? And _what_ did her final warning mean? What was she trying to do?

"Ooph!" Heronpaw, who hadn't been paying attention to where he had been going, bumped right into Sootpaw. By the looks of it, Sootpaw had been trying to listen in to his conversation with the spooky medicine cat.

"Sorry Heronpaw!" Sootpaw chimed as they both got back to their feet. "I didn't mean to. I was going to tell you, Beetletail says if he wanted fish-breath, he'd, uh, 'jump in the river'. In the meantime, I gave your fish to Sharpnose and Deadear. They really liked it! Dayflower said she thought you were thick-brained for getting it, but even she seemed interested." On he went, but Heronpaw had a feeling that whatever Sootpaw said, there was definitely something going on with him, and he was not at all wanting Heronpaw to know what it was.


	23. Chapter 21

Over the course of the next moon, Heronpaw was unable to deliver his message to RiverClan whatsoever. His training was suddenly filling his days from dawn until dusk. He was up hunting, patrolling, battle practice, memorization of important moves and the history of SkyClan was something the now needed to know. Willowsong assured him that this was a good sign.

"It means that your warrior assessment is coming up soon," she said soothingly when he flopped down to eat after a long day perfecting his jump. "It's just your mentor making sure you're ready."

But Heronpaw was not convinced. He was certain, though she never said it, that Daisysong didn't want him venturing near the RiverClan border alone. Not that he didn't go there. He wasn't sure what brought it about, but there had been a definite upswing in SkyClan life. All of his comrades in SkyClan were treating him fairly, and he'd even gone on a patrol of the RiverClan border once. He had spotted his sister, Snowpaw, among the reeds, watching him. It would have been a good time to get a thorn in his paw to talk to her about Floralwhisker's message, except that was the day that Beetletail was back on warrior duties, and the warrior had not been willing to wait for anyone. So Heronpaw had had no opportunity to pass along the message.

The Gathering was coming up soon, and not for the first time, Heronpaw was very excited. He knew that Bearpaw was going because she'd bragged about it to Finchpaw and Mousepaw one night. Sootpaw was also hoping to go, but wasn't entirely sure yet that he would be. Daisysong had not said anything to him, but Heronpaw hoped that he would get an invitation. He'd behaved exceptionally well since he'd brought the fish back, and he never complained. He even made offers to hunt for the elders and to clean the queen's dens.

"You're much farther along in your training than cleaning," Daisysong had scolded one day when he'd offered to clean the elders' den. "You need to work on your battle skills. Nightstar could be along any day to fight for more territory."

Heronpaw frowned but did not complain. "Okay. So what are we doing today?"

Daisysong stared at him. "Let's go to the training hollow," she said at last, but she still had her eye on him.

Heronpaw rose to his feet and followed her as she padded out of the camp. They had just gotten to the hollow when she whirled around to face him. "Heronpaw, what is all this about?"

He was so surprised by her question that he momentarily stammered wordlessly. Daisysong waited patiently. Finally he got his brain caught up with his words; now was the time to be brave. It wasn't like Daisysong was going to laugh at him. "I was hoping that you might invite me to the Gathering coming up," he said shyly.

For a long moment, she stared at him. He thought he detected sadness in her eyes. "Heronpaw, I can't," she said. Heronpaw wasn't expecting that.

"Why not?" he asked. "I did everything right!"

To his dismay, she was nodding. Everyone knew he had done everything right, and it still wasn't good enough? "I wish I could," she said sadly. "I really do. But you're not a full member of SkyClan. You can't come representing this Clan if you're not a full member."

"Bearpaw is only an apprentice too," he answered miserably. "But she gets to go."

"Bearpaw is a full member of SkyClan by blood," Daisysong shot back. Heronpaw was pleased to see that she was fairly upset too. "She was born a member of this Clan. You were born in RiverClan, however, and Brackenstar hasn't announced you as a full member, so you can't come."

Heronpaw frowned. It didn't seem fair that after all the time and work he'd put into SkyClan that he still wasn't considered a full member. He supposed he was in a better position than he was upon coming to the camp, but it didn't make much of a difference. And then there was his dream. Hollystripe and Reedstar had told him to go back to RiverClan, and that he could choose which Clan to be loyal to. So far, he had been putting his loyalty to SkyClan first, even though he was still going to follow Hollystripe's advice and go back to RiverClan. Wasn't that enough?

Daisysong seemed to know what he was thinking. "Don't worry, Heronpaw. I'd say you've proven yourself a loyal apprentice if ever I saw one." Her eyes twinkled. "Now don't go spreading this around, but Brackenstar has taken quite an interest in your training lately. I think he's planning on making you a full warrior and member alongside Sootpaw and Bearpaw when they're ready."

Her words seemed to reach into Heronpaw, grab his sad emotions, and toss them aside. Brackenstar had noticed him. Brackenstar was planning on making him a full member. He realized with an unfamiliar sweep in his stomach that that could only mean one thing: he was going to be a warrior at last.

He would have to find another way to contact his family in RiverClan about the message. After all, there were more options than just going to the Gathering. Instead, he dipped his head to Daisysong and continued the rest of the training without complaint.

Heronpaw spent the rest of the day in the training hollow with Daisysong. They were joined part way through by Mousepaw and her mentor, Dogtooth. She was working on a battle move that Heronpaw had learned in RiverClan. He was surprised at how easy it was now that he knew what he was doing.

At the end of the lesson, the four cats padded back to camp. Dogtooth and Daisysong fell behind as they chatted quietly. To Heronpaw's embarrassment, Mousepaw was all over him.

"You were so good at that move!" she gushed. "How did you know to balance like that?"

Heronpaw wasn't sure whether or not to be grumpy. "Mallowtail taught me." Mousepaw blinked at him. "She was my mentor in RiverClan," he explained.

"Wow!" Mousepaw breathed. "What was she like? Was she nice? Did you learn a lot from her? Did you like swimming?"

Heronpaw groaned. _Patience_ , he reminded himself. _Mousepaw doesn't have that much experience with the other Clans yet._

"Mallowtail is a senior warrior," he explained gently. "She was very strict, but yes, she was kind. And I did have to learn how to swim. It was very…" he trailed off thinking of the right word. "It was very wet."

Mousepaw giggled. Luckily, they were back at camp at the point, and Heronpaw split away from her. While she headed off to where Finchpaw was sitting looking extremely grumpy, Heronpaw bounded over to Sootpaw. The gray apprentice was just pulling a large rabbit off the fresh-kill pile. "Look at what Bearpaw caught this morning!" he said, eyes shining. "I've never seen her run so fast!"

"Nice," Heronpaw commented, looking down at the rabbit. It was large; very large. It was almost as big as Ravenswoop's kits. It's brown fur was sticking up in the wind, and Heronpaw wondered how fast Bearpaw had had to run to catch it.

"Guess what else," Sootpaw said. "Sunblaze said I'm going to the coming Gathering!"

Heronpaw's ears twitched in annoyance. "Good for you!" he said, trying to make it sound genuine. Sootpaw seemed to guess what he was thinking.

"Don't worry, Heronpaw. I'm sure that once we're made warriors, Brackenstar will take you along."

The compassion in his friend's voice made Heronpaw's frustration melt. It wasn't Sootpaw's fault that he wasn't allowed to go. Truth be told, Sootpaw had been really good to him since his arrival here, maybe even the best of the Clan. Besides, the gray apprentice had had a very hard moon. It was about time something good happened to him.

"Thanks Sootpaw. I really hope you have fun." This time his voice really did sound genuine. Sootpaw's eyes brightened immediately.

"Don't worry Heronpaw. I know you've been doing really well in your training. I have faith in you." Heronpaw smiled proudly as Sootpaw added, "And I'll be sure to tell you all about it." His eyes twinkled. "Didn't you say that your sister is the apprentice medicine cat?"

Heronpaw nodded thoughtfully, thinking longingly of his sister in RiverClan. If only he could talk to her again… "Yeah, Kestrelpaw is Orangeleaf's apprentice."

His gray friend's eyes lit up. "Wow. I can't wait to meet her."

Heronpaw stared at his friend, an odd sensation creeping upon him. Why was Sootpaw so concerned with his family in RiverClan? Why did it matter so much?

He was just about to ask when Sootpaw interrupted his thoughts. "Guess what!"

Heronpaw shrugged, nonplussed. "What is it?"

Sootpaw indicated with his tail where Finchpaw was sitting with his head down. "Finchpaw asked Tangleblaze to go to the Gathering!" His friend snickered. "Silly. He should have known that Tangleblaze would've invited him. He got quite the let down."

Heronpaw winced. "Well, I asked Daisysong if she would be inviting me." He was suddenly worried. "Did I do something wrong?"

But Sootpaw shook his head. "Nah. You're one of the older apprentices, and you only asked if she was inviting you, you didn't ask her to take you." He once again indicated where the young apprentices where sitting chatting. "Finchpaw asked Tangleblaze to take him."

Twilight was approaching comfortably in the camp. The warriors were gathering together in amiable clumps, sharing tongues. Heronpaw looked around. This group of cats was not who he envisioned belonging to in his kit-hood. Indeed, he'd always thought he'd be a strong RiverClan warrior. He could still see himself swimming confidently, his fur streaming as the water brushed through. If he really tried, he could almost feel the water under his thick paws.

The vision faded and he sat face to face with Willowsong. The bright she-cat had come over to sit with him, alongside Mistybreeze and Hushpool. Heronpaw nodded politely to the warriors. Both she-cats were calm but ferocious warriors. He imagined for a second having a war with SkyClan if he ever did return to RiverClan. The mere thought of their fur in his claws made his stomach churn. These cats were his friends, his family. Having to fight them would absolutely kill him.

But what about if SkyClan ever went to war with RiverClan? Could he live with the consequences of staying? What if, as a SkyClan warrior, he was forced to battle Ivypaw, or Snowpaw? What would Kestrelpaw think of him when she treated the wounds he'd be forced to cause? Would she feel as if he'd betrayed them?

Mossheart joined their little cluster and all five cats sat together. Mossheart didn't talk, and he could appreciate her silence. It gave him an excuse to keep his mouth shut too.

Heronpaw couldn't sleep that night. He wanted so badly to dream so he could see the silver she-cat. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but she brought him comfort. They never had to speak to each other, but just her calm, familiar gaze made his heart calm and his head stop hurting.

After the other apprentices' snores had filled the den, Heronpaw was forced to admit that he was not going to sleep. A cold wind ruffled his fur. He shifted in his nest trying to get comfortable but it was no good. A couple more moments, and he rose to his feet.

Well if he couldn't sleep, he'd have to find something else to do. Maybe he could try to find one of his littermates and pass on Floralwhisker's message. His pelt prickled as he padded out of the den and into the nest. _Guilt_ , he thought to himself. _But I'm just doing what StarClan wants me to._

Goldenfeather was on duty tonight. When Heronpaw went to step out of the camp, he put is paw out. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked gruffly, giving Heronpaw a disapproving sniff.

Heronpaw resisted the urge to get angry in response. Instead he shrugged. "I just need some fresh air," he admitted.

"Why?" Goldenfeather demanded.

Now Heronpaw's patience was wearing thin. "Because it's stuffy in there." He jerked his head back to the apprentices' den. "Am I confined to camp, or can I go out?"

Goldenfeather snorted. "You can go. But don't you bring back anymore of your stinky fish here!"

Heronpaw concealed his snort of laughter and nodded, trying to look serious. Goldenfeather stepped aside and he padded out into the forest as calmly as possible.

It was a beautiful night. Silverpelt shone bright in the sky, brighter than it'd usually be. A cold wind ruffled the leaves high above, making Heronpaw shiver. He hadn't noticed, but the nights were starting to get crisper. Leaf-fall was coming. Last leaf-fall, he'd been born.

He didn't really remember that night, but it was probably a night much like this one. All he knew about it was that it had been chilly out in the forest, and Icebreath had gone for a walk when she'd suddenly began kitting. She'd been lucky though. Splashcloud and Orangeleaf had been patrolling nearby, the medicine cat looking for herbs just over the SkyClan border.

When Icebreath started screaming, having crawled into a hollow, Orangeleaf had heard and the two brothers had come to her aid at once. Just after he and his littermates had been born, Badgertail and a patrol found them. They were lucky. If Badgertail had not gone out looking, they would have died.

The kitting had been particularly hard for Icebreath. She had needed nearly a full moon to recover. Nursing six kits had been quite a chore. Instead, Lionfish had nursed a few of his siblings, and at the time, Mintpool had been just weaning Petalcloud, Slyheart, and Birchfoot at the time, and had taken two of his other littermates, leaving Icebreath only needing to nurse three.

They had been weaned particularly fast.

His paws carried him instinctively over the rough terrain. He remembered his first day on SkyClan land. It had been so difficult to race after the SkyClan cats. His paws had seemed so clumsy then. Now, they silently carried him over the hard packed earth, avoiding sharp twigs and navigating around tree roots that might otherwise tripped him up.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost walked directly into the water. Quickly, he backtracked and followed the border along to where RiverClan might consider crossing. As the riverbed wound through the trees, he noticed the ground get more spongy underpaw. He winced as mud wound up his leg fur around his paws. Could he really have once enjoyed this sensation?

Screwing his face up, and not at all enjoying what he was about to do, he slowly dipped his paws into the water. A shiver wracked his spine, causing his entire body to twitch uncomfortably. The water was _cold_! He had noticed the slow change of season earlier, but touching the bitter cold water showed that he must have been less aware than he thought. Soon, prey would start hiding deep underground to avoid the cold. Feeding the Clan would be that much harder.

He remembered last leafbare with a new shiver, one of disgust this time rather than the cold water. That had been around the time Creekripple had joined RiverClan.

As the thought of Creekripple's seemingly innocent, smirking face filled Heronpaw's mind, his fur prickled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bright flash of light. By the time his head swung around to look properly at it, it was gone.

His pelt fluffed uncomfortably. Was another cat there, watching? He opened his jaw and let the taste of the air fill his mouth. He couldn't smell another cat there, but that didn't mean there wasn't one. In fact, he was certain that if a RiverClan cat wanted to hid their scent, they'd have no trouble doing it with the mud on the ground.

"Snowpaw?" he called nervously. The only sound was his voice dying on the wind. The eerie quiet made his heart race. He could smell his fear scent billowing around himself. The sour taste of it clouded the air around him, confusing his senses. Now he couldn't tell if another cat was there even if he wanted to. Worse: he was showing the other cat he was afraid.

If there was another cat.

After a few minutes of unsuccessfully searching the darkness, Heronpaw was forced to give up. There was no sign of another cat across the border, and his legs were starting to go numb anyway. Withdrawing from the water with yet another shiver, he sighed in resignation. He could not _prove_ another cat was there. Maybe the funny feeling was just that: a funny feeling. Careful to avoid the mud pools, Heronpaw traced a new route back the way he had came. He was ready for his nest. It was a cold night, and he didn't like being totally alone in the dark.


	24. Chapter 22

The day of the Gathering approached in a gust of cold wind and rain showers. Each drop hit the fur like a bee sting, icy pricks that seemed to drill all the way to the bone. Each cat shivered violently as the morning warmed up, some shuffling their feet in place to keep warm. Daisysong sat outside the medicine den, giving quick instructions.

"Dapplepetal will take Mossheart, Willowsong, and Stonetooth near the Twoleg nests to hunt."

"The long grass will wet our fur," Stonetooth replied thoughtfully. "We'll get soaked, and so will our prey."

Daisysong shook her head. "We haven't hunted there in a while, and closer to the barns, the grass is shorter. I think you'll make it there and back in one piece."

Stonetooth dipped his head, but grumbled angrily to Duskpool about it the moment he turned his back on Daisysong. The long-haired deputy pretended she hadn't noticed. "Tangleblaze and Dogtooth, I want you to take your apprentices for their first assessment."

Dogtooth dipped his head.

"Beetletail, take Sunblaze, Sootpaw, and Mistybreeze to the ThunderClan border. We haven't checked their in a while. I want the rest of us to work on reinforcing the camp walls again today.

Beside him, Streamripple groaned. "We've been working on this for so long! If ThunderClan hasn't attacked by now, they're not gonna."

There was a loud hiss from beside the den, and Brackenstar stepped forward. "Perhaps you haven't noticed, Streamripple, but the weather is getting colder. If we want the Clan to survive leafbare, we'll have to pad the camp as thickly as possible to shield it from the bad weather. Maybe keeping your Clan sheltered doesn't matter as much to you. That's okay. If you don't want to do what Daisysong says, you can take care of the elders. I'm sure Floralwhisker would lend you some mouse bile, and I know Onetooth was complaining about ticks just earlier."

That certainly shut Streamripple up. The gray warrior dipped his head with an apologetic murmur. Brackenstar leaped up onto his branch and addressed the Clan. "Tonight is the Gathering. I will be taking the warriors that Daisysong has already spoken to. I want you who are going to stay in camp and reinforce the wall with her. Today, I will be leading the patrol to the border."

Everybody nodded. "Daisysong, today, Heronpaw can help Floralwhisker." A shoot of relief spread through Heronpaw as Brackenstar continued. "I want a patrol on the RiverClan border. We haven't been as diligent as I would have liked about that border. I'm afraid we can't trust Creekstar to lead his Clan honorably after what we learned."

Daisysong dipped her head. "Goldenfeather and Aloeleaf can go."

Brackenstar nodded thoughtfully. "I'll take Firestone and Bearpaw too."

The Clan began to separate out to their many tasks. Heronpaw watched Streamripple and Hushpool crowd over to Boulderstep for instructions on the camp wall. Ravenswoop had the kits out, and they were playing pounce in the clearing. Well he supposed it was pounce. It looked kind of like it. But instead of pouncing on anything, the kits were leaping as high as they could.

"See, I can jump the highest!" Minnowkit cheered. "Watch!" She bundled her legs underneath her and, after a moment of concentration, leaped high enough to have landed on the nursery roof if she'd wanted to.

"Not true!" Crowkit wailed. "I can leap higher than that!" His muscles bunched as he prepared to jump, but Featherkit bounced first and landed on top of him. Heronpaw watched as Crowkit's legs buckled underneath him and he crumpled. What he wasn't prepared for was the small snapping sound that came with it. If he hadn't been listening, he might not have heard it at all.

No cat in camp missed it when Crowkit threw his black tufted head back and let out a miserable wail.

Heronpaw rushed over, Floralwhisker hot on his heels, but Ravenswoop got there first. "What happened? What's wrong with him?" Her cries were almost as loud as Crowkit's had been. She whirled, her eyes ablaze with sudden fury. Featherkit flinched under her gaze. "What have you done?"

"I didn't mean to!" Featherkit's voice was a terrified squeak.

"Of course you didn't," Floralwhisker said calmly, rubbing Featherkit comfortingly with her tail while she reached over and sniffed Crowkit. "Heronpaw, bring Featherkit." Carefully, she lifted him in her jaw. Heronpaw watched as she whisked him away.

Heronpaw looked down at the young kit. He couldn't have been any less than five moons, Heronpaw realized. These kits were well on their way to being apprentices. He wondered if Crowkit and Featherkit would get that privilege now.

Ravenswoop was beside herself. "Minnowkit, go to the nursery _now_!"

The young, gray-furred kit didn't even think about arguing. As soon as her daughter was out of sight, Ravenswoop turned on Featherkit. "And you had better get to Floralwhisker's den _right now_! No arguments!" Without waiting for a reply, she darted off in the direction of the medicine den. Featherkit stared after her, his ears drawn back and eyes darkened in shame. He glanced up at Heronpaw, who shrugged.

Together, they padded side by side to the medicine den. Heronpaw had only been in there once before. Tucked neatly underneath the branch where Brackenstar made his announcements was a thorn bush. This was where Floralwhisker had her den. As Heronpaw pushed his way into the den, he heard Ravenswoop's frantic mewing, "He's gonna be all right, isn't he?"

In the den, Floralwhisker was bent over Crowkit, who was laying on his side. The kit certainly seemed in pain. He was moaning load enough for all of the forest to hear!

Finally the medicine cat sat up. "He's fine. Sprained shoulder I'd say. I'll give you burdock to wrap his nest. That will help him. In the meantime, I'll wrap it up to help it heal." With a flick of her tail, Floralwhisker retreated further into her den to collect her herbs. Heronpaw quickly pushed into the den, Featherkit following close behind.

Ravenswoop lashed her tail as her son meekly sat in front of her. Heronpaw winced internally. Featherkit might have been careless, but he certainly hadn't hurt his brother on purpose. In his opinion, Ravenswoop was being unnecessarily harsh.

So he was surprised when her voice was gentle. "What were you thinking? You could seriously hurt your littermates. Hurt yourself."

"I know," Featherkit murmured. "And I'm sorry."

Right then Floralwhisker came back. "Here is the comfrey for Crowkit. There is some extra that I want you to chew and put in his nest. It will help him heal. As for you," and she her amber eyes on Featherkit. "I brought half a poppy seed."

With that, Ravenswoop flicked her tail, gathered her two kits, and disappeared out of the den. Heronpaw assumed that she would be taking them back to the nursery for rest. That was when he remembered he was supposed to be working for Floralwhisker today. Anxiously, he looked at her, wondering what kind of assignments she would have for him.

Her amber eyes bore into him for a long moment. Heronpaw felt as if she could read his mind. Finally, she lashed her tail dismissively.

"I am mostly going to be working with the elders all day. Onetooth needs someone to chew his food for him, and Timberwolf has been complaining about aching joints, so I'm going to put her through some stretches. Why don't you fetch them some soaked moss, and then you can rest."

Heronpaw's ears pricked. "You don't need help with the elders?"

Floralwhisker hissed in an annoyed fashion. "Absolutely not. You'll only get in my way. Fetch the moss and go away."

Hardly believing his luck, Heronpaw raced to complete the task. Maybe Daisysong would let him join a patrol now that he had nothing to do. After all, with his warrior ceremony upcoming, and becoming a full member, he had to be able to be reliable to his Clan.


	25. Chapter 23

After he was done getting the moss for Floralwhisker, Daisysong had sent him on a hunting patrol with Hushpool and Sootpaw, who's patrol had returned early. The three of them had managed to catch a decent amount, but Sootpaw had fallen out of a higher branch and sprained his paw. While he wasn't seriously hurt, it would certainly prohibit him from going to the Gathering that night.

Tangleblaze had asked Mousepaw to go instead, as she had managed to catch the largest bird Heronpaw had ever seen. It must have been a pheasant, but the bird itself was big enough to feed nearly the whole Clan at once. Of course, this caused a rift between Finchpaw and Mousepaw, as Finchpaw had wanted to go really badly, but he hadn't been invited.

Heronpaw sat among the other apprentices outside the apprentice's den, sharing tongues and enjoying the sensation of a full belly. The sun was just beginning to set, and Daisysong was calling together the patrol headed to Fourtrees tonight. As the cats going to the Gathering cumulated outside Brackenstar's den, Finchpaw pointedly turned his back on his littermate as she stalked past.

Heronpaw thought this was a bit unfair of him. After all, it wasn't Mousepaw's fault that he hadn't been invited, and she had made a truly spectacular catch. Her ears turned down as she padded morosely over to join her mentor.

"Have fun Mousepaw!" he called after her. She whipped around at his call and stared at him with wide eyes. Finally she waved her tail in assention, and turned back to the crowd ready to go.

"Thanks Heronpaw," Bearpaw snorted as she trotted past. "Now there's gonna be no dealing with her."

That took Heronpaw by surprise. "What?" he asked, perplexed.

Bearpaw tilted her head the side and cracked her neck. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed."

Heronpaw felt a string of heat tingle through his fur while Sootpaw _mrrowed_ with laughter beside him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't," Bearpaw yawned. "Only she's had her eye on you for some time, if you know what I mean." Without waiting for a response, the gray apprentice took off to join the crowd as they thundered out of camp.

Heronpaw turned to stare incredulously at Sootpaw, but for some reason, his fellow apprentice wouldn't look at him. Sighing, he put his head on his paws. Finchpaw had retreated into the apprentices' den. Across the camp, Stonetooth was gossiping with Dapplepetal. Dayflower and Timberwolf had guided Deadear out to sit in the bright moonlight. Heronpaw knew that Firestone was on guard duty at the camp entrance.

His thoughts drifted to Mousepaw. This was her very first Gathering, and she was bound to be the youngest cat there. What was she doing? Who was she talking to? He tried vainly to imagine her speaking to a ShadowClan warrior twice her size, a privilege Heronpaw had never had.

And suddenly it occurred to him that he was going to be made a warrior soon. SkyClan was going to take him in. He'd be able to go the Gatherings and meet other warriors alongside Mousepaw, and Willowsong, Bearpaw and Sootpaw. He would carry SkyClan scent on his pelt, hold his head proud as the Clans called his new name- whatever it was –and honored him as a warrior. This wasn't his birth Clan, but this was his Clan, and very soon, he'd get to hold his head high and attend his own first Gathering.

He'd see his family again.

He knew they would be proud of him. Sure, they'd be sad that he couldn't be there in RiverClan with them, but that woudn't stop them from chanting his new name proudly to the sky. Maybe even Otterfoot would join in.

And what would Creekripple say when he looked down from the Great Rock and saw Heronpaw there, now a fierce warrior? Would he congratulate Heronpaw, as most leaders did? Or would he regret chasing Heronpaw away from his home Clan?

The image burst into Heronpaw's mind so vividly, he could almost taste Clan scents on the air. He could see Creekripple's green eyes boring into him. He could hear RiverClan defiantly chanting his name alongside the other Clans. The crowd parted and there was the silver she-cat with the strange eyes again…

"Heronpaw!" Something prodded him sharply in the side. "Wake up!"


	26. Chapter 24

Never before had Heronpaw gone from sleep to total awareness so quickly. He sat up so fast that at first, his eyesight was cloudly as a wave of dizziness nearly knocked him off his feet. However, there were strange scents on the air, and the young tom could feel the tension in the air, as tangible as a mist.

"What's going on?" he demanded while his vision cleared.

"Brackenstar's back," Sootpaw answered him. It wasn't because Heronpaw knew Sootpaw so well that he knew immediately something was very wrong. The full moon was still floating high in the sky. The other warriors had gathered in the clearing, fur brushed up along their spines and ears pricked. Heronpaw watched the elders gather together at the entrance to their den, eyes peaking out nervously. Nobody from the Gathering was in the clearing yet, but Heronpaw could hear them just outside the camp wall, picking their way in.

The cats from the Gathering streamed into camp with their tails bushed out, eyes sharp. Heronpaw caught more than one pair of eyes trained in his direction. In fact, the majority of the Clan seemed to be looking at him. Tangleblaze was staring at him with panic on his face, his fur brushing up against Aloeleaf, who looked on the verge of collapse. They were not the only two that seemed worried. Mousepaw was staring at him with agitation, and Duskpool looked visibly upset. However the rest of the Clan seemed less scared and more angry. Goldenfeather was glaring the sharpest claws at him, while Bearpaw had a look of open hostility that Heronpaw had not seen since he had first joined the Clan.

Anxiety knawed Heronpaw's stomach out of nowhere as the Clan gathered around Brackenstar automatically. What was going on? He looked to Daisysong for a clue, but she wasn't looking at him. Her head was close to Brackenstar's, muttering to him. Her face was unreadable.

The cats from the Gathering were all talking at once, neither one trying to keep their voices down.

"Who else could it be?"

"It had to be him."

"I knew he'd betray us in the end."

"I never trusted him."

Shock began to filter down Heronpaw's spine. Somehow, the Clan thought he had betrayed them. What could he have done this time?

His question was about to be answered. Brackenstar had leapt up onto his branch outside his den. There was no need to call a Clan meeting. Most of the Clan had already gathered.

"What happened?" Stonetooth called up, glancing at Heronpaw. The apprentice was surprised to see that the warrior didn't look as belligerent as the rest of the Clan, only concerned.

"Creekstar said that someone from SkyClan has been spying on RiverClan," Brackenstar announced in a somber voice. "According to him, someone from SkyClan has been going into RiverClan territory repeatedly since the last Gathering."

The Clan was babbling again as the cats who had not attended the Gathering took that in. Heronpaw felt his fur ripple angrily along his spine. So the Clan was going to assume it was him because he had RiverClan blood?

Then icy cold gripped him. He _had_ been going to RiverClan lately. He had been going to offer the resistence whatever information he had on Creekripple. The Clan wasn't just assuming he'd gone. They were right.

Heronpaw stared at the stars, anger and hatred filling him. Hadn't he made the choice to be loyal to SkyClan? Hadn't he done _everything_ that StarClan had told him? Was all his hard work going to be for nothing?

"Heronpaw," Brackenstar's voice cut into his thoughts, unusually somber. "Step forward."

Following Brackenstar's instructions was ingrained in Heronpaw by now. He didn't dare question or argue. Instead, with his head held high, he paced into the center of the circle. Growls and jeers met him as he yet again came to face a crime he hadn't committed. For he hadn't. He had done just as StarClan had instructed him, and he would gladly tell Brackenstar this.

"This is ridiculous, Brackenstar," Daisysong said quietly from her place beside him. "We have absolutely no proof that Heronpaw was behind this!"

"Who else would it be?" Goldenfeather snarled at her face. "Who else in SkyClan would have a reason to go over there?"

The golden deputy leaned toward her challenger, eyes blazing. "Anyone in this Clan with a heart for those less fortunate than us might've gone over to see if those cats are okay. Or perhaps someone went over to confirm that Creekstar is as bad a leader as his warriors say he is. In either case, I say we have reason to be proud of our own. They took tremendous risk in going over there, and maybe found out some useful information."

Goldenfeather was not abashed. "Embarking on such a journey is pure foolishness! What about the risks to SkyClan? Creekstar now has a legitimate reason to attack us now! RiverClan could storm us any second!"

"Did they look like a fighting patrol to you?" Hushpool asked. The young cat was beyond her authority to question Goldenfeather like that, but Heronpaw could see that age didn't really matter to her. It never had. "Those RiverClan cats looked starved to me. You want to talk fools, Creekstar would be a major one if he decided to lead those cats into battle against a fighting force like us."

"Do you think Creekstar thinks anything through?" Firestone spat. "Look at his track record. He clearly doesn't care about the safety of his Clanmates!"

Heronpaw felt a shiver go through his spine. His kin, his family, his littermates…they were starving under the leadership of a cat who didn't care if they lived or died. There was no stopping it. Creekripple _would_ lead them into battle if he thought he could gain anything out of it.

"Enough!" Brackenstar's voice boomed, louder than anything so far. The authority in it was enough to make anyone flinch. His tail lashed and his eyes blazed as his Clan fell silent for the first time since returning from the Gathering.

Heronpaw walked forward the rest of the way until he was face to face with Brackenstar, the SkyClan cats surrounding him on all sides. He faced his leader with his head high, his eyes like flints. He had not done anything wrong. Now was the time to face Brackenstar, as Hollystripe had instructed him to in his dreams. If the late deputy were to be trusted, Brackenstar could be reasoned with if he approached him through logic.

Brackenstar must have seen his confidence, his lack of regret. The leader's voice was not reassuring. "Heronpaw, did you go over to RiverClan?"

"Yes," Heronpaw answered, his voice clear but quiet.

He heard Daisysong gasp but didn't look away from Brackenstar. The Clan broke out into muttering, only to be silenced again as their leader continued. "Why?"

The apprentice glanced around at Floralwhisker. The medicine cat was sitting at the edge of the clearing, her eyes calm. She nodded once. It was enough for Heronpaw.

Turning back to Brackenstar, he continued, "I had a dream from StarClan. Hollystripe and Reedstar visited me. They told me that Creekripple is not meant to lead RiverClan, and that he must be stopped."

"To _you_?" Firestone sneered, but Brackenstar silenced him with his tail.

"What does this have to do with SkyClan?"

Heronpaw did not flinch, but felt a flicker of doubt. Was a sign from StarClan not enough for Brackenstar? "I do not know. But it was Hollystripe who told me I had to go and warn the RiverClan cats."

Brackenstar narrowed his eyes. "And so you went." It was not a question.

"Yes, I did. I spoke with Badgertail, my father. He has been severly weakened, and kicked out of camp. Any cat who does not show outright loyalty to Creekripple is starved, even the kits."

Brackenstar's eyes were slits by this point. "So you found out quite a bit."

"Yes," Heronpaw said. "The cats of RiverClan are in desparate shape. They took my message as…a sign of hope." A new emotion filled Heronpaw, one that he had not felt before. Was it sadness?

For a moment, he wondered if he had won Brackenstar over. But as this new emotion filled him, Brackenstar's eyes blazed with an anger that pushed the panic right back into Heronpaw. "So you deliberately disobeyed your Clan leader's orders, with total disregard to this Clan's safety, and betrayed us by returning to your family. I said SkyClan was not going to get involved, and yet here you've involved us all!" The Clan began jeering in agreement at his words. "Our kits are in danger!" Brackenstar spat, and another cheer went up. "Our hard working elders. Your denmates. Do none of these cats matter to you?"

He began to shake uncontrollably, on the verge of hysterics. He looked around and saw not a friendly face in the crowd. Bearpaw was showing him her teeth, Mousepaw spat at him, Goldenfeather's hackles were raised in anger. Even Sootpaw looked upset.

"We shall vote" Brackenstar declared. "about your fate, Heronpaw! These are the cats that took you in, and you have betrayed us. Each of my senior warriors will speak up, and majority rules. Daisysong?" He turned to his deputy.

Heronpaw could hardly bare to look at her. Of all the cats in SkyClan, Daisysong was the cat he respected the most. She looked small and non-threatening, but he knew that she was a formidable cat. She had clawed her way to the top, not just out of ambition, but out of good character. When her eyes had stared at him with unmistakable pride, Heronpaw had felt big, important. Now, her eyes were cold, and Heronpaw could not have felt smaller. What if she said he had to leave?

For a moment she was silent, her eyes turning from cold to hard, then to empty. It was worse than anything Heronpaw had ever seen, including battle. Finally, she spoke, her voice was so quiet that Heronpaw could hardly hear her, but her message was clear all the same. "Heronpaw showed poor judgement in acting alone, however, I don't think he meant any disloyalty. I think he should stay."

Her words stirred the Clan. They had clearly not expected her answer. Several of the warriors shared looks, and the muttering this time was not entirely hostile. Some cats were thinking her words over. Heronpaw tried to catch her eye, but she would not look at him. Instead, she fixed her gaze over his right shoulder and nodded slowly.

Brackenstar was nodding at her words. Even he looked less upset. "Dogtooth?" he asked, turning to his next most senior warrior.

The brown tom did not sound angry. He almost sounded dejected. "I think he should leave." Heronpaw's head snapped up as the warrior spoke. Somehow, he had not expected wise and calm Dogtooth, who had vouched for him from the very beginning, to reject him now. "The apprentice clearly still has loyalty to his kin in RiverClan. There is no room in SkyClan for mixed loyalties."

Heronpaw heard another cat mutter agreeably, but he couldn't even turn to face who. Disappointment filled him to the core. Brackenstar turned to the next cat in the lineup. "Dapplepetal?"

The soft-spoken queen barely whispered, "He should go." And did not expound upon it. Brackenstar nodded and turned to the next cat in the lineup.

"Beetletail?"

The small brown warrior looked thoughtfully at Heronpaw before answering. "Heronpaw fought like a warrior in the battle with ThunderClan, and there's no doubt the information he brought us from RiverClan could be useful. I think he should stay."

Heronpaw had not expected that either. Beetletail had never shown any considerable likeness towards him, but hearing him vote for him anyway brought him some strength. Not every cat thought he was disloyal.

Brackenstar turned to the next cat, one who had always been the most beligerant to him. "Firestone?"

"Send the brat on his way," Firestone snapped.

Heronpaw felt his fur bristle against his will. Firestone had never trusted him, so he should not be surprised by his vote. But calling him a brat? It was beyond degrading.

"Goldenfeather?"

"Of course he should go," the golden tabby snorted. "If anything he's proven his heart still lies with RiverClan. Dogtooth's right."

Brackenstar turned to the next cat. "Sunblaze?"

The warrior, a copy of his sister, nodded. "I agree with Daisysong. Heronpaw has not betrayed us. He should stay."

The last cat in the lineup was Boulderstep. It all came down to his word. If the warrior voted against Heronpaw, the odds would be against him, and he would have to leave. But if the warrior voted for him, the vote would be evenly divided, and the decision would be up to Brackenstar. The warrior certainly didn't look angry. His eyes were troubled as he thought about what he wanted say.

At last, he spoke, "Heronpaw, I know you've tried your hardest to prove yourself to us. But I don't think you can fight your own mind. I don't think you did what you did out of disloyalty to us, but I certainly think you acted out of loyalty to RiverClan." A weight fell into Heronpaw's stomach as he realized what was coming next. "I'm sorry, Heronpaw, but I just don't think you can be fully devoted to us while you're still steadfast to them."

There was a dark murmuring around the Clan now, and Heronpaw thought he saw a satisfied look on Brackenstar's face. In his heart, he was numb. It was happening again. All that he had suffered was coming back to him. He had not realized before how much he was counting on becoming a part of SkyClan. Even when he left RiverClan, he had somewhere to go in SkyClan. Now he had no one.

"Well Heronpaw, the Clan has spoken," Brackenstar growled. "I was going to name you a warrior, make you a full member. But now…by the power invested in me as Clan leader, I must insist that you leave SkyClan. If you are seen here again after sunrise you will be- "

But whatever he was going to be if he was seen after sunrise again, he never found out. At that moment, a loud keening sounded from the back of the group, cutting Brackenstar off. It took Heronpaw a moment to sort out what was being said through the pounding in his ears.

"You can't kick him out!"

He whirled to face the she-cat, Aloeleaf, as she raced forward. He had never seen such a frantic look in any cat's face before, except perhaps Icebreath when she'd insisted he come here in the first place.

The she-cat pushed her way through to the center of the group, her eyes wild and her voice shaking. "You can't kick Heronpaw out. He belongs here."

"Why not?" snarled Firestone in her face. "What right does he have to be here?"

Aloeleaf didn't seem to hear Firestone. Heronpaw could sense a change in the atmosphere as Aloeleaf raced straight toward Brackenstar. "You can't force Heronpaw out. He has a right to be here. He is my son!"


	27. Chapter 25

Heronpaw had never heard anything so laughable in his entire life. Yet not a soul laughed. In fact, the camp was the quietest he had ever heard it. Not a cricket sounded. It didn't even sound like a single cat was breathing.

Eventually, the silence came to end when Duskpool spoke, her voice shaky but gentle, "But Aloeleaf, dear, you couldn't be his mother. Look at the size of him. You would have had to be an apprentice still when he was born."

Aloeleaf looked around, her hauntingly familiar eyes boring around at her Clanmates. "I did. I had him when I was still an apprentice. That is why I gave him away."

At any other time, Heronpaw would have expected the Clan to mutter, but now, he couldn't be surprised by their silence. In fact, he couldn't bring himself to feel anything. The numbness had been replaced by something much different, much worse: emptiness.

Yet he was _Icebreath's_ kit. A _RiverClan_ cat, however much he tried to deny it. Surely he had been born there, right? Hadn't Orangeleaf been there for his birth?

Hadn't Orangeleaf had some sort of grudge against him?

_No!_ This _couldn't_ be true.

Brackenstar seemed the only cat who wasn't beyond words. "Aloeleaf, please explain yourself." It sounded more like a request than a demand.

Aloeleaf was still shaking as another cat broke out from the group and sat beside her. It was Mossheart. They were littermates, Heronpaw suddenly remembered. Those two sisters and a third: Hushpool. He glanced around and saw her looking at her sisters as if she had never seen them before. This didn't shake the emptiness. After all, he felt like he didn't know anything anymore.

Seemingly drawing comfort from her mute sister's presence, Aloeleaf opened her mouth and began. "I was still an apprentice when I realized I was carrying kits. I didn't know for sure until I was pretty far along. I knew for sure when I felt them…moving inside me."

Heronpaw felt the first thing he'd felt since her revelation. He felt sick.

"I was sure that I was going to have to give them up. Apprentices aren't supposed to have kits, are they? It's never happened before that I know of. Only no one in the Clan could take them. They would know then. I was prepared to run away to have them, to give them up to be kittypets if I had to. Anything would be less shameful than being the kits of an apprentice."

Heronpaw watched as she began to breathe funny. Floralwhisker shot away to her den. Still, he felt only that he might puke.

"I was on the border one night. I was really hurting and I was wailing. It was the only release I had. Well then _he_ came along. A RiverClan warrior. He saw me so upset and offered to help. I couldn't stop myself. I burst out the whole story to him. Told him the truth. And he _still_ wanted to help. He said his brother was the medicine cat, and that he'd talk to him about what I should do."

Heronpaw snapped up to look at her. There was only one cat that could have been. Orangeleaf only had one brother: Splashcloud. So Splashcloud had known all along that he was…that he wasn't….

Brackenstar was staring at her with wide eyes. Daisysong too. In fact, the whole Clan seemed totally entranced by Aloeleaf as she told her story.

"He met me again the next day, and this time he brought his medicine cat brother with him. The tom told me how soon I would be having them, and offered a solution. There was a queen in RiverClan due around the same time. He suggested that we arrange to have the kits together, and then she could take them in. The idea was shocking to me, but I knew anything was better than having an apprentice for a mother. Giving my kits to RiverClan? It was a better idea than keeping them myself."

_Icebreath_ , Heronpaw thought. Had she known? _Of course she knew!_ That was why she had sent him here.

"You betrayed the Clan by giving him to RiverClan," Hushpool breathed. "Oh honey, no one would have blamed him for your youth!"

"Wouldn't you have?" Aloeleaf retorted defiantly. "I mean, you all blamed him for being raised in RiverClan when that wasn't his choice either! And all of this was happening right around the time that mother died."

Her strange green blue eyes met Heronpaw's own, and he understood where he'd seen them before. In the she-cat from his dreams. In Fernlight. Aloeleaf, Mossheart, and Hushpool were Fernlight's kits. Which meant that Heronpaw was Fernlight's kin.

Which must be why whenever he looked into his reflection, he saw those strange green-blue eyes.

He didn't need to hear the rest of the story to know it was true. He was Aloeleaf's kit.

That didn't mean he didn't want to hear the rest of the story.

"The night they were born was the night ShadowClan attacked ThunderClan in that vicious battle. Do you all remember? We could hear the fighting here in camp!"

"We remember," Duskpool breathed as Aloeleaf laughed hysterically.

"I don't know what it was that medicine cat gave me, but it hurt for a long time. And then they were here."

Brackenstar's ears pricked, but it was Daisysong who asked the question. " _They_?"

Aloeleaf looked at her, still emotional. "Two beautiful kits. I looked down at them and I _wanted_ them. They were _my_ kits. How could I possibly have ever thought of giving them up?" Heronpaw inhaled deeply, shakily. He wasn't alone? Another cat, still in RiverClan, was a SkyClan cat?

Aloeleaf's voice became uncontrollable again as she wailed, "And they took them! They left with _my_ kits and gave them to _her_. Some she-cat in RiverClan had them. I stayed up for many nights wondering what happened to them. Even after I became a warrior, I could not reveal my greatest shame. Not that I'd had kits, but that I'd given them away. No mother would…I was unfit- " she cut off in a strange hissing noise, her flanks heaving as she fought to breathe. Floralwhisker fought her way through the crowd and sat down.

"There, there, Aloeleaf. Please take this. It will help." She was so gentle, her voice so soft, it made Heronpaw dizzy. His legs nearly gave out, and he swayed on his paws. He couldn't collapse though. Suddenly a warm pelt brushed his, and Sootpaw's scent filled his nose. His friend wouldn't let him down now.

Aloeleaf was his _mother_? This she-cat he had hardly spoken to since joining the Clan? Was this why she had never looked at him proper before?

"Aloeleaf, how can we be sure what you're saying is true?" Brackenstar asked.

"He really does look like her, now that she's said it," Pebbleclaw commented. "Got her eyes. And fur. And stature."

No no no! He'd gotten his fur and eyes and stature from Badgertail! He'd always been so sure of it. But now…he forced himself to look at the she-cat claiming to be his mother, and even he couldn't deny that they were quite the duo. He really did look like her.

"But that doesn't explain Creekstar's behavior," Dogtooth said. "Why would he attack Heronpaw after joining RiverClan? We'd say it had to be because he knew Heronpaw was Aloeleaf's son, but that makes no sense? Say he _did_ figure it out. That would mean he kicked his own kin out of his new Clan."

Heronpaw felt bile rise in his throat as he remembered a small fact. Creekripple had been Fernlight's mate before he'd killed her. That meant Aloeleaf was his daughter. Which mean that Heronpaw was his direct descendant.

"That's not true," spoke a voice Heronpaw had never heard before. It was rough from out of use, and its owner looked shocked at her own daring. Were there no end to the surprises? Mossheart had actually spoken.

Everyone looked surprised, even Brackenstar. Heronpaw had heard that Mossheart had had an encounter with a dog that had left her mute. He had not realized that Mossheart was mute _by choice_.

The gray and white she-cat had her head lifted defiantly. "Creekstar had every reason to attack Heronpaw if he realized that Heronpaw was Aloeleaf's kit. He hated her. He hated us all."

"But _why_?" Dapplepetal asked, sounding mildly annoyed.

"Because we weren't his kits," Mossheart breathed. "I was there when he killed her. He found out the truth. Fernlight had lied to him. My sisters and I were not his kits, and he was not her only love. We were the kits of Hollystripe."

That was too much to believe. Really? Two cats had lied about their kits? _Two she-cats I'm related to_ , he realized. He also knew that he never wanted kits at this point.

Now the Clan was muttering. "We're the kits of Fernlight and…Hollystripe?" Hushpool asked, stepping forward to meet her sister head on. "And you were there when he…?" Anger twisted her face. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Mossheart began whimpering in a strange fashion. "I wanted to. He was going to kill me! He set that dog after me and afterwards I couldn't talk so I…stayed unable to talk…" With that, the gray and white she-cat collapsed onto the ground, her legs unable to hold her up any longer. Hushpool leaned over her wailing miserably until Floralwhisker slapped her.

Now the Clan was talking again, thoughtfully this time, moving forward. "Creekripple would have been devastated after finding out that those three weren't his kits after all, and that Fernlight had lied," Frostheart said.

"He'd been hurt and betrayed," Dogtooth added. "Creekripple could never contain his emotions properly."

"After finding out, he wanted revenge," Duskpool continued. "So he killed Fernlight."

"And Hollystripe," Sunblaze put in. "He came back to get him."

Daisysong spoke next. "By that point, all of SkyClan was against him. But he couldn't go down without a fight, so he went to RiverClan…"

Goldenfeather finished for her, "…and shmoozled his way right to the top. If he knew that Heronpaw was Aloeleaf's kit, then he could blackmail Orangeleaf into faking a sign to get him there…"

Boulderstep continued, "…and then with the whole Clan sick, he could silently kill off Reedstar and take her place. With her Clan at his disposal, he had a fighting force. He sent Aloeleaf's known kit to join her Clan so we were all together as one, just waiting for an attack."

"Only the Clan wasn't entirely loyal," Firestone pointed out. "Otherwise he would have attacked by now. So he had to wait until he had everyone on his side before he could launch an attack to slaughter us all."

But to Heronpaw, it still didn't make sense. "Why would he want to kill everyone in SkyClan though?"

It was Brackenstar who answered, his voice bitter and deep. "Hollystripe was our deputy, a representative of the Clan and future leader. As far as Creekstar is concerned, we are all guilty."


	28. Chapter 26

Heronpaw sat, staring at the full moon as it lowered in the sky. In the distance, the sun was just starting to peak the horizon. There was a chill in the air, and his breath billowed out in front of him. Brackenstar and his senior warriors had disappeared inside his den a long time ago. Most of the other Clan had gathered in their dens, some sleeping, some murmuring quietly among themselves. The apprentices had disappeared into their dens a long time ago. Sootpaw had tried to approach him, but Heronpaw had sent him away.

After all this time, being told he wasn't good enough, being pushed away by SkyClan, here was the truth. He could recall perfectly why he wasn't allowed to go to the Gathering, but Mousepaw was. _She is SkyClan by blood. You still haven't been approved by Brackenstar. Her loyalty isn't questioned while yours is._ Funny how it turned out he _was_ SkyClan by blood all along.

He heard the crunch of cold ground beside him as another cat settled. He didn't look over to see who it was, but scent told him it was Tangleblaze.

"Thought you might like some company," the tom said, but in Heronpaw's mind, he was relieving the battle with ThunderClan, and saw Tangleblaze's face just before rushing into battle, and he knew the truth.

For a while they sat in silence, watching the sun as it rose above the horizon. "I know she made a mistake, but Aloeleaf really is a good cat," Tangleblaze said softly. "She really does love you."

Heronpaw winced. He didn't want to talk about Aloeleaf. He wasn't sure how he felt about her. He couldn't face her, despite his burning questions. Until he had this thoughts together, he had no desire to see her face to face.

Tangleblaze must have sensed Heronpaw's reluctance, for he let the one-sided conversation drop. Another short while passed while they sat. "You were there, weren't you?" Heronpaw asked.

The warrior looked surprised, but answered anyway, "Yeah, I was. Aloeleaf was scared and needed company. She- " He hesitated, the continued on boldy. "She wanted the kits' father there. Your father, Heronpaw."

The apprentice was already nodding. He had guessed as much. This wasn't what he wanted to know so badly.

"The other kit?"

Tangleblaze didn't look surprised this time. "A she-kit. We didn't name her before she was taken, so we don't know which of your littermates she is."

Heronpaw winced against, feeling hurt. They weren't all his littermates, just one. A sister who didn't know she had SkyClan blood.

"What did she look like?"

The warrior took a deep breath. "She had soft kitten-fur. Light colored I think but it was dark. Her eyes weren't open yet…I like to think she looks like me." As much as he sounded proud, his voice cracked at the end of his statement, and Heronpaw understood how hurt he must be.

Well that could be any one of his sisters. Ivypaw, Sablepaw, or Kestrelpaw. It couldn't be Snowpaw. She looked too much like their mother- no, _Icebreath_ \- to be his true littermate. It also couldn't be Kestrelpaw, he thought. She had dark brown fur, when Tangleblaze said his sister had light colored fur. That left Ivypaw or Sablepaw. Which one wasn't really RiverClan?

He thought about each in his mind. For some reason, Sablepaw stood out to him. Her personality seemed to fit, although he wasn't sure why. He pictured her sitting next to Tangleblaze. It _could_ be right. She certainly had his lean body. Yet something about Sablepaw didn't quite seem to fit.

Which brought him to Ivypaw. The she-cat was stubborn as all get out. She had a natural fight to her, he of all cats knew that. She had tortoiseshell and white fur, not light colored exactly but bright. In the moonlight, she looked perfectly pale. Despite that he couldn't quite picture any of his littermates feeling at home here in SkyClan, Ivypaw was the cat he imagined would have fit in from birth. With a mentor like Firestone, she would have thrived.

And then he could picture it. He could see it as if he was watching from afar: Aloeleaf, then Aloepaw, crying out in pain as her two kits were carried away by Splashcloud and Orangeleaf. Two kits…Heronkit, with his gray fur a small copy of his mother, and Ivykit, her tortoiseshell fur gleaming in the moonlight. The image felt so at home to Heronpaw that he understood.

"Ivypaw," he breathed. Tangleblaze's ears twitched and he looked over in surprise. This must have been the first time that he'd heard his own daughter's name.

Heronpaw didn't have time to explain. Right at that moment, Brackenstar came out his den with his senior warriors in tow. He leaped up on to his branch and yowled. Immediately the rest of the Clan began pouring out of their dens. Aloeleaf, he saw, came from the medicine den with Mossheart leaning against her. Both she-cats looked distinctly uncomfortable. He noticed that several of her Clanmates shot her a nasty look before turning away from her. Heronpaw winced. Aloeleaf had messed up, certainly, but that didn't make her a bad cat. Hadn't her pain after losing her kits been enough?

But Brackenstar had other things on his mind. "SkyClan," he announced, his voice ringing in the air. "We are going to launch an attack on RiverClan."

Heronpaw's jaw dropped. How in StarClan did they get from all that had happened last night to this conclusion?

Duskpool called out, "Why?"

The great leader's amber eyes gleamed in the rising sun. "Creekripple poses a real threat. Knowing what we know now, we can concude that, given time, Creekripple will lead his Clan to fight us. He does not care which cats he destroys to get his goal, and his goal is to detroy us. With one of our own in RiverClan, and another born there, we cannot knowingly allow him to destroy RiverClan."

"But if we fight them, won't we hurt them?" Tangleblaze called out. Heronpaw wondered if he was thinking about Ivypaw.

"We might," Brackenstar admitted. "But we are not fighting to kill. We are going to drive Creekripple away if we can."

Frostheart asked, "And if we can't?"

Brackenstar's eyes visibly darkened. "We'll kill him."

A slow murmuring broke out among the Clan. "But Creekstar has nine lives!" Bearpaw called out. "We'll have to kill him nine times."

"No," Floralwhisker spoke, stepping forward. "Heronpaw told me about his dream. Based on what I heard, I have deduced that StarClan did not approve his leadership. If he truly faked a sign to get there, he wasn't the real deputy at the time of death."

"So Badgertail is the rightful leader?" Heronpaw couldn't stop himself from asking.

Yet no one sounded angry now. Brackenstar barely glanced at him while answering. "I would assume so.

"So Creekripple doesn't have his nine lives or a new name. He has disgraced StarClan by trying to lead RiverClan for so long. He has brought sickness and misfortune to RiverClan, and shame to SkyClan. We must correct this oversight right now. Today at sunhigh, we attack!"


	29. Chapter 27

Heronpaw weaved through the weeds, trying not to leave a scent but knowing every frond he brushed picked up his scent. Behind him, he heard the quick breathing and picked up the fear scent of his patrol.

_His patrol_. This was actually Daisysong's patrol, but because they were trekking through RiverClan territory, he was leading it.

This was not an attack patrol. Brackenstar had decided that they should try to gather a group of cats from RiverClan, those who weren't loyal to Creekripple. It was Heronpaw's job to find Badgertail and the rebels, and warn them of the attack.

Daisysong had not approved. She had suggested that the cats in RiverClan might betray them to Creekripple if they knew of an imminent attack. Tangleblaze had disagreed.

"It will give them a chance to prepare for us. And if they're as desparate as they seem, they will want Creekripple gone."

Brackenstar had agreed with Tangleblaze, and that was why he had sent the very patrol Heronpaw was now leading.

"This is gross," Boulderstep complained. "There is mud on my underbelly, I swear."

"It's _River_ Clan," Pebbleclaw laughed. "Of course there's mud."

Boulderstep snorted. "More like MudClan."

"Quiet," Daisysong snapped. "We're here on a mission."

"Yes," spoke a voice from the reeds. "You all really _should_ be quieter." Heronpaw's ears twitched as the three warriors behind him fell into a line. However, he wasn't scared. The reeds parted and Rippleclaw came into view, followed by Tanglefur, Nightfall, and Mallowtail. Trailing behind was Tigerpaw.

For a tense moment, th two patrols stood facing each other, fur fluffed up and tails lashing. Finally, Daisysong stepped forward. "We come in peace."

"Of course," Rippleclaw wheezed, his sides heaving. "Why are you here?" Heronpaw noticed his eyes flashed over to him and back.

Daisysong, too, glanced at him. "We're here to help you."

Rippleclaw seemed to be sizing her up. Behind them, Heronpaw watched the other warriors. Nightfall looked relieved, Swanpaw upset. Tigerpaw looked downright excited. Tanglefur seemed confused, looking from Daisysong to Heronpaw. But Heronpaw only had eyes for Mallowtail. His old mentor was standing with her head eyes, but her eyes were strained. He had a feeling she was trying very hard not to look at him.

"Fine," Rippleclaw said at last, making Heronpaw jump. Feeling embarrassed, he ducked his head as the senior warrior continued. "Let's go see Badgertail."

Together the warriors went ahead, following Rippleclaw. Heronpaw noticed that the two groups almost blended together as they walked. Now that Heronpaw knew that he was SkyClan, he was shocked to see how much of a difference it made to how he saw the RiverClan cats. Still gaunt, he felt as much an outsider as he ever had. Part of him still referred to them as Clanmates, even though they weren't really. While nothing specifically had changed in the scenario, Heronpaw's perception would never be the same.

They pushed their way through the trees, Mallowtail and Daisysong walking side-by-side. Mallowtail was bigger, with short brown fur and a long tail. Daisysong had the bigger aura. She was small, but you could sense power radiating off of her. From her rippling muscles to her smooth pawsteps, it was easiest in that moment to see why she had been picked as deputy. Mallowtail was a warrior, and seemed to be perfectly okay with that. Daisysong was meant to lead.

Badgertail was waiting for them, sitting tall while Rippleclaw whispered in his ear. Heronpaw looked around. They were near a cluster of tall willows that draped over the riverbed. It was beautiful. The roots of the tree stood up tall, forming natural dens in the ground. Around the temporary camp, several cats were sitting in clusters. Most of them were very gaunt, clearly starving. However, there was a small fresh-kill pile in the center of the clearing. It was this that the cats were clustering around.

Daisysong padded forward to speak with Badgertail while her small patrol sat back. They weren't alone for long. Many of the cats were curious, staring being the least offensive. They were clearly a topic of discussion as Tigerpaw raced from group to group. There was a cluster of apprentices together, including Sablepaw, Snowpaw, and Ivypaw. Heronpaw's heart pounded as he looked at her for the first time since learning the truth. His real sister glanced at him and looked away. He saw Tangleblaze in her if he looked for it, but there was no denying that Hollystripe was there. She had his green eyes.

"Heronpaw!" He turned his head to see Kestrelpaw running towards him, eyes bright. She didn't stop in front of him, but rather rubbed her cheek against his in a loving greeting. It was a sign of affection shared by family. Heronpaw couldn't quite hide his wince.

"Why are you guys here?" she asked, her ears twitching curiously. "Tanglefur says that you all are here to help us."

"I can't say," Heronpaw answered, tight-lipped. "But it's important."

Kestrelpaw didn't dig, just nodded. Now that he was looking at her close up, he could see that she was quite frail. Her fur clung limply to her frame, her eyes haunted. "What's wrong?" he asked, filled with concern. Blood kin or not, Kestrelpaw was still his littermate.

"Cat's are dying," she croaked. "And Orangeleaf and I are unable to help them. Seabreeze wasn't being fed enough to fight off whitecough, and Applefur can't produce enough milk. Two of her kits died." Sadness hollowed her face, weighing Heronpaw down. Applefur had had a healthy litter of four. Two hear that two of them had died meant that they had declined seriously in healthy.

"I'm sorry," Heronpaw breathed, reaching to stroke her flank with his tail. "I'm sure you did all you can. They could not have been in better care."

A fire burned in Kestrelpaw's eyes when she answered, "Yes they could have. If Creekstar wasn't our leader, those kits would have been quite healthy."

Heronpaw didn't know how to respond to that, so he said nothing. It was good timing though, for Badgertail called throughout the clearing for the cats in the temporary camp. He was staring down at the rebels from on top of the beautiful roots where he had jumped.

"I have spoken with Daisysong. Brackenstar has offered a fighting force. They are going to help us chase Creekstar away!"

There were muffled cheers. "What about his nine lives and name?" Nightfall asked quietly. "Will StarClan be there for us if we chase away their approved choice for leader?"

While the warrior looked at Kestrelpaw for an answer, Badgertail glanced at Heronpaw. "We have reason to believe that Creekripple was never chosen by StarClan to lead us," he said, sounding confident despite the awkward message. A few of the cats glanced at Heronpaw in surprise too. He shuffled his paws and stared determinedly at the ground. Eventually, he would have to reveal the truth to these cats. They would find out anyway. But now was definitely not the time. Not only were they pressed for time, but he needed to process the information himself first.

Luckily, Badgertail did not expand. "Today, we will all go into the camp, and I will challenge Creekripple. Brackenstar and his fighting patrol will surround the camp, and at my call, we will fight."

"We're going to fight our own Clanmates?" Tanglefur asked, eyes widening.

Badgertail's eyes flashed. "We're going to fight Creekripple. I know I am asking a lot of you, but if this works, we will bring RiverClan back its might."

Daisysong, who had been sitting next to the root, rose to her feet. "Brackenstar has given us explicit instructions. We are not fighting to kill, or even maime. Our entire purpose of the fight is to restrain Creekripple's main warriors so that we have a shot at him."

That seemed to satisfy everyone.

"Prep for the battle will start now," Badgertail ordered. "We must all eat what we can, and rest up while we can. Daisysong will send for a patrol to join us, and we will start from there."

"SkyClan!" Daisysong called, and Heronpaw rose forward to join them. He couldn't help but glance at Ivypaw, imagining her standing and joining them. But as he looked at her, he realized that even after knowing the truth, Ivypaw would not join SkyClan. She would always be a RiverClan cat. His head snapped forward again before they made eye contact.

Daisysong lead her cats over to the edge of the clearing. "Okay. Brackenstar should have a patrol at the border. Heronpaw, you know the territory best. You should be the one to go and get them. Bring them here, and try to keep a low profile, okay?"

Heronpaw dipped his head and dashed off. He did not have much time. Already, the sun was starting to dip from overhead, and no cat wanted to be out after dark. This was his first lone mission on RiverClan territory since he'd been kicked out. While he certainly felt weird about it, it also felt strangely normal. He could almost pretend that none of the events that transpired after Reedstar's death had actually happened. By now, he'd be finalizing his warrior assessments and preparing for his naming ceremony.

But he couldn't forget the happy moons he had spent in SkyClan. Yes, they'd been perpetuated by a horrible, and until recently unexplainable incident. However they _had_ been happy. He couldn't deny that he'd had fun with his new Clan.

Heronpaw was faster than he'd realized. That, or he was so lost in thought that he hadn't paid attention to his speed. His paws skidded to a stop right at the edge of the river. He couldn't see any cats on the other side, but he knew that they were there. This was the arranged meeting place.


	30. Chapter 28

He stood at the edge of the river and called hoarsely over the other side, painfully aware that they were closer to RiverClan camp here than the temporary camp. On the other side of the river, the tall reeds parted, and murky shapes began to crawl out of the undergrowth and into the water. Heronpaw watched as they slithered out of the water, onto the bank around him. Brackenstar approached where he stood, eyes dark.

"Daisysong wants us to meet here just up ahead," Heronpaw reported readily.

Brackenstar nodded. "Let's go." He raised his tail as a signal and looked at Heronpaw. A shadow of ambition crept over him as he took point beside Brackenstar. He was leading the Clan! Only to the temporary camp, but still…it was an odd sensation to give a signal and have the Clan follow it. His paws carried him easily at the head of the Clan as he pounded toward the temporary camp. Although no one said anything, he thought he heard a snicker from behind.

As they reached the camp, Heronpaw pushed his disappointment aside. They were soon going into battle. He didn't have time to worry about his new ambition. He raised his tail awkwardly to bring the Clan to a halt. Quietly, the warriors crept around him, forming a semi-circle. Brackenstar took the lead now, padding past Heronpaw and heading straight for Badgertail and Daisysong in the middle of the clearing.

Heronpaw, however, had a new mission. He could see Aloeleaf huddled against Tangleblaze at the edge of the small clearing. He whipped away from his Clanmates and trotted over to the RiverClan apprentices. Sablepaw, Ivypaw, and Tigerpaw were sitting close together, their voices low. They stopped talking when Heronpaw approached, he noticed.

"Ivypaw," he breathed quietly. "Will you please come with me?"

His sister looked confused, but didn't argue. That was easy enough. As they walked together across the camp, he leaned closer to her. "There are some cats I want you to meet. Please don't ask questions now. I promise I'll explain later, okay?"

Ivypaw nodded. She took it well, but her eyes were suspicious. Heronpaw watched Tangleblaze and Aloeleaf as they approached. Aloeleaf was staring emptily over Tangleblaze's shoulder. The brown warrior, however, caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and whipped around to stare as they approached. Gently, he nudged Aloeleaf until she looked up too, her eyes lighting up as Heronpaw brought Ivypaw over to meet them.

"Is this her?" Aloeleaf asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"Yeah, this is her," Heronpaw answered, trying to sound amused. He glanced over at Ivypaw. If she was confused, she wasn't showing it. Instead, her eyes sparkled and she nodded politely.

"Ivypaw," he said, and she looked at him with interest. "This is Aloeleaf and Tangleblaze. They have been waiting to meet you for some time."

His green-eyed sister turned back to the warriors. "Hello," she spoke, her voice gentle.

Aloeleaf whimpered and leaned forward as if to touch noses with her daughter, which Heronpaw did not think was a good idea. He could see that Ivypaw was uncomfortable. Her claws were working against the sticky mud, kneading. She did not yet know who Tangleblaze and Aloeleaf were, despite knowing their names.

Luckily, Brackenstar chose right then to give a call. All cats in the clearing turned to look at him, Ivypaw discreetly stepping away when Aloeleaf's attention was otherwise occupied. She threw Heronpaw a frustrated look as she shuffled awkwardly to the side.

Badgertail was standing side by side the SkyClan leader, his massive figure looking pretty impressive silhouetted against the blue sky. "The time has come. I will take Rippleclaw, Mallowtail, and Tanglefur with me. The rest of you will go with Brackenstar."

Rippleclaw lead the other two forward to stand beside Badgertail imperiously, eyes hard. Heronpaw watched their tails flicker nervously and their fur ruffle even though there was no wind. While each of the cats was certainly starved, Heronpaw could see why Badgertail had picked them. Rippleclaw had rippling muscles, Mallowtail a strong presence, and Tanglefur with her bushy fur bundled up. All in all, they looked pretty healthy.

Another ripple of ambition passed through Heronpaw as he looked at them. These were strong, noble warriors, preparing to fight for the safety of their Clanmates. They didn't look scared necessarily, only ready for what was to come. Being chosen to accompany Badgertail in the actual confrontation for the right to lead RiverClan was a huge honor. His fur prickled uneasily. One day, he wanted to be in the front lines.

"Heronpaw!" a voice called him out of his reverie. He jumped and looked up at Hushpool. He felt awkward, knowing that they were actually related. "You're with me."

In his group was Firestone, Boulderstep, Pebbleclaw, and Tigerpaw. In the other group was the rest of them, including Tangleblaze and his sister. Ivypaw sat beside Sablepaw, her back to him and her ears pricked toward Badgertail. Heronpaw looked around and saw Aloeleaf sitting next to Kestrelpaw. She looked exceptionately weary. Maybe that was why she'd been selected to help the medicine cat.

Badgertail took the lead, his cats following him. Brackenstar and his group followed them, Heronpaw's group followed him, and finally came Kestrelpaw and Aloeleaf came last.

Heronpaw could not see Badgertail ahead, but knew he was leading. He wondered how the brave tom felt, leading an enemy Clan to attack his own. It must have felt so traitorous, so unclean. Badgertail must have felt very strongly about RiverClan's future to do such a thing. The RiverClan cats must have considered Badgertail very highly to follow him.

Before Heronpaw knew what was happening, they were at the camp. Brackenstar nodded to Badgertail and lead his group toward the lowest point of the camp wall. Heronpaw was struck with a sense of foreboding. They were going to break through the wall and attack the camp! Of course they were. They were supposed to. It went against Heronpaw's every instinct to watch them go, knowing that RiverClan was in danger.

Hushpool lead them toward the highest end of camp, directly opposite of Brackenstar's group. Aloeleaf and Kestrelpaw had vanished from Heronpaw's sight. He had the feeling they were with Brackenstar's group, who he couldn't see through the camp wall.

Badgertail, with his warriors flanking him, entered the camp. With great tact, Heronpaw crept as far forward as he dared and pricked his ears to listen. He could only just hear Creekripple's snarl, and Badgertail's loud tones. He could not make out any words.

In his mind's eye, he pictured Badgertail with his warriors standing defiantly, facing Creekripple in the camp, his tail bushed out and his eyes sharp. Creekripple would have his warriors with him, including Birchfoot, Sandpelt, and Otterfoot. Badgertail would make his claim as RiverClan's rightful leader, Creekripple would not take kindly…

As if from beside him, he heard a loud shriek. He could not tell who it was from, but afterwards, the sound of battling cats reached his ear. _Badgertail!_ he thought. His distress did not last long. He could just hear Brackenstar's battle cry as he lead the first group into the fray. Hearing Brackenstar's call comforted Heronpaw. He glanced at Hushpool, but she did not give the signal. They must be reinforcements.

Tigerpaw stretched his claws into the peaty earth. "What are we waiting for?" he snapped, but Pebbleclaw brushed the apprentice's mouth with his tail to silence him. Hushpool hissed quietly, leaning forward with ears pricked. Heronpaw did not know what she was waiting for, but there must have been some signal, for without warning, she gave the call and leaped forward.


	31. Chapter 29

The reeds tore at his fur and scratched at his skin. He felt one whip into his eye, and he only just closed his eyes in time. He tunneled blindly through the camp wall, his heart pounding his ears as he burst into the clearing.

For all the hissing and screaming, there really wasn't that much fighting going on. The SkyClan warriors, and Badgertail's followers, were trapping Creekripple's fighters down. Heronpaw spotted Rippleclaw and Splashcloud dodging swipes from Sandpelt as she struggled to fight back. Ivypaw and Sablepaw had Otterfoot on the ground already. Longwhisker was sitting outside the nursery, his fur on end and his eyes wild. Fightclaw, however, was living up to his name. Tanglefur and Firestone were on him, but it wasn't enough. Heronpaw raced forward, heading toward the trio to help keep the warrior down. He got half way across the clearing when a heavy weight landed on his back.

"I always knew you'd come back," Creekripple's voice sounded in his ear. "Half-Clan spawn of my traitorous mate!"

Heronpaw struggled against the claws in his back for only a moment before the weight was gone. He glanced back to see Brackenstar batting Creekripple back, his ears drawn back. In that fraction of time, the SkyClan leader looked more fearsome than Heronpaw had ever seen him He could see the strength rippling through his muscles, feel the angry blaze through the clearing at his swipes. It was as though all of StarClan flowed through the brown tom.

When Heronpaw looked back to where Fightclaw had been, he saw the warrior had been driven back among the rest of Creekripple's followers.

He felt a sharp pain in his tail, and yelped. Birchfoot had his tail and was dragging him backward! He bared his teeth, not sure if he wanted to attack or not. He was spared when Firestone leaped onto the tom. For a moment they were a hissing knot, a tangle of tooth and claw in the clearing. Then Daisysong was there. Together, the two warriors managed to push Birchfoot back until the RiverClan deputy was with his other Clanmates.

Heronpaw charged over and stood beside Bearpaw. The gray she-cat had her ears back and her teeth bared at Cinderpaw. When Heronpaw joined Bearpaw, Cinderpaw's eyes widened in alarm, but he only there to keep the line in check.

Brackenstar and Badgertail had together dragged Creekripple into the center of the clearing. Brackenstar pinned the screeching tom down while Badgertail faced the Clan. "I know this battle must have surprised you all, and I know that you all might be scared. But I also know that all of you have fought beside me before, joined me in the hunt, gone to Gatherings with me, and many of you have charged into battle with me, following Reedstar in defence of this Clan. RiverClan deserves, not a good leader, but a great leader! RiverClan deserves a cat who can bring honor to this Clan!"

From the writhing mass, Rippleclaw and Splashcloud gave a cheer.

Badgertail raised his tail and continued. "Creekripple has not been that leader. He has trained apprentices to fight only for him, driven the elders out of the camp, and starved any cat he does not like until they are too weak to survive without him. Cats have died! _Kits_ have died!" Cats, even some of Creekripple's supporters, were cheering to Badgertail's words now. They all sounded rather angry.

"You cannot defy the will of StarClan!" Creekripple hissed, still struggling under Brackenstar.

Badgertail looked at him sharply. "There has been a sign!" he proclaimed, his deep voice resonating until every cat was gasping. "Creekripple is not the cat to lead RiverClan after all."

"You cannot prove that!" Creekripple spat.

Heronpaw drew his ears back. The RiverClan leader was right. They _couldn't_ prove that the sign was real. After all, he wasn't even a medicine cat. No one would believe any dreams coming from _him_.

Badgertail raised his tail again. "SkyClan has shared with me your history. I know the truth. You killed Fernlight! You killed Hollystripe!" His eyes narrowed. "You killed Reedstar."

There was more gasping, this time stronger. Everyone was shocked by these revelations. Even Birchfoot stopped struggling, his eyes widening in horror.

"Again, you cannot prove any of it!" Creekripple yelled, as best he could with his muzzle on the ground. "And anyway, you're too late! I am Creekstar, leader of RiverClan!"

Badgertail narrowed his eyes, his neck fur prickling. "I can think of one way to prove, once and for all, if you are really meant to be RiverClan's leader."

A deadly hush fell upon the watching cats, but Creekripple laughed. "Do you really plan on killing your own Clan leader? StarClan would never approve of you after that! You won't dare."

But Creekripple vastly under appreciated Badgertail's faith in their warrior ancestors. "It is my duty to protect my Clan from dangers, like you. StarClan cannot fault me for wanting only to keep my Clan safe." Creekripple's smile vanished from his face as Badgertail continued. "And if you were truly approved by StarClan, you have nine lives."

Creekripple gave a wild screech, but there was no stopping it. Badgertail lunged, Heronpaw watched as he sunk his teeth into Creekripple's throat, then tore away. It wasn't just a killing blow. It was a vicious way to end a life. Heronpaw realized there must have been plenty of anger in his father, having been skirted after Reedstar's untimely death, and then seeing his Clan be driven to ruin by a SkyClan murderer.

There were shocked murmuring as the Clans, united, watched Creekripple thrash around in a pool of his own blood. Heronpaw felt sick as he watched the leader twitch once, and then again. Finally, the tyrant fell still.

Silently, the warriors began to creep forward. They stared at Creekripple's body, not expectantly, but in awe. A long moment passed. Nobody moved. Orangeleaf rushed forward and touched the brown body.

"He is dead," he announced at last. Badgertail raised his tail for silence as a mixture of cheering and wailing broke out.

"It is time I take my place as your leader. Are there those who do not except?"

At first, no one spoke. Finally, Birchfoot stepped forward and dipped his head. "Those of us who were loyal to Creekstar did not know his deeds. StarClan has spoken by taking away his life today. You are our leader, and I promise on behalf of all of us, that our loyalty goes to you."

Badgertail touched his nose to Birchfoot's head, as he would when naming a new warrior. "You are a brave, and strong warrior, Birchfoot. Your Clan needs your strength now."

Birchfoot purred warmly, his eyes flashing as he stepped back to join the Clan. Badgertail continued, "If no one disagrees, I will go to the Moonstone tonight to receive my nine lives and my new name! And from now on," Badgertail added. "Creekstar shall be called Creekripple. He never received his leader name from StarClan."

The Clan broke out into cheering, everyone breaking into little groups. By this point, all of the SkyClan warriors had gathered at the edge of the clearing, preparing to go. Heronpaw saw Daisysong leaning against Pebbleclaw. Bearpaw was staring at him.

"Heronpaw," Badgertail said in his deep, slow voice. "You are welcome to stay in RiverClan. Creekripple's law is not mine."

Heronpaw's heart pounded in his chest. This was it. He was being offered what he had only dreamed of since he had been kicked out. But what about SkyClan? Technically, SkyClan was his home. He had SkyClan blood in his veins.

He turned to Brackenstar, wondering what the SkyClan leader would have to say about it. The big tom narrowed his eyes slightly. "You are also free to come back with us to SkyClan. You will be welcomed as a warrior."

A warrior! He could get his warrior name tonight if he chose to! Suddenly he remembered his dream. Hollystripe and Reedstar had said he would have to choose where he belonged. His blood spoke of SkyClan, but his heart sang with the river. There was no denying that, ins his heart, he'd always be a RiverClan cat.

"Thank you, Brackenstar," Heronpaw said formally. "I really am grateful to SkyClan for everything, and I will never be able to pay that debt back. But I know now where I belong."

Brackenstar nodded. "You are a RiverClan cat?"

Heronpaw's pelt relaxed. "RiverClan needs me."

The Clan leader turned to Badgertail and dipped his head. "You are receiving a fine warrior. Treat him well." The leader's eyes sparkled with warmth. "My Clan promises to leave you in peace for a moon. You will need time to recover."

"That is very courteous of you," Badgertail murmured. "I promise you will not have any problems from RiverClan."

The SkyClan leader said nothing. His eyes no longer sparkled. Heronpaw watched, his heart aching, as Brackenstar called his Clan to him, and they trooped out of the camp. A couple of the cats looked questioningly at Heronpaw as they left, Bearpaw one of them. He saw Aloeleaf and Tangleblaze padding side by side, their fur brushing. He knew he was giving up his blood family, his birth Clan heritage, and everything that that meant. However, he still had blood family in RiverClan, even if Ivypaw didn't know it yet. Maybe his heart would never be at peace, his loyalty always a little fractured. Yet in that moment, he knew he was making the right choice. RiverClan _did_ need him, but he also needed RiverClan. SkyClan was his blood, but RiverClan was his home, and for him, that was enough.


	32. Chapter 30

As the sun set on the horizon, red tainted the sky. Blood streaked overhead, intermitten with fluffy white clouds. A bitter cold breeze whistled through the reeds, making them wave underneath the vast sky. A river snaked through the forest, the water churning sluggishly on, even though most of the top layer had been frozen into slush.

In the edge of the river was an island of sorts. The water on the side, usually shallow enough to walk through, was frozen solid. Small kits played on the ice while their mother's watched worriedly. The island, however, was home to many cats, most of whom were gathered in the center of the island in a clearing.

On the far horizon, where the sun usually rose, a few cats in Silverpelt were beginning to twinkle in a friendly manner. They didn't warm the shivering cats below, but many of the cats looked at their flickering ancestors with bright smiles. They all sat with their fur fluffed out and their tails wrapped around their paws, alternating between glancing at their ancestors and staring extectantly at the front of the clearing.

There was where Heronpaw sat beside Mallowtail. Today was the day. Badgerstar had finally given him his final assessments, and had made the decision to name him a warrior. He couldn't really delay it any longer. Heronpaw knew there were many cats in the Clan who had not wanted him to get his warrior name. While he had not assumed he would earn their loyalty right away, he had been surprised by just how long it had taken them to trust him again. He supposed, having been told he was a traitor for so long, it was hard for them to see him as anything but. On the other hand, he had not helped this process along. When he had rejoined RiverClan, his Clanmates had expected him to provide information on SkyClan. But Heronpaw refused to be used as a spy. SkyClan had been good to him, and he would not betray them. Badgerstar had expected his reasoning. Not all of his Clanmates had.

However, that was all behind them. No one in the Clan was staring at him with hostile glares now. Many of them looked excited, expectant. In his own way, he had earned their trust back. They were ready now to accept him as one of their own. Heronpaw stared up at his warrior ancestors. Somewhere up there was Hollystripe and Reedstar. He wondered if they were watching over him now.

A hush seemed to fall over the Clan as Badgerstar appeared from his den. The massive tom had not been leader for very long. After all, two seasons was nothing compared to Brackenstar, or Reedstar. It was clear from day one, however, that Badgerstar had the full support of the Clans. He had been welcomed with great honor at his first Gathering, and Heronpaw had heard that the cats over the borders feared his strength. No one knew exactly what had happened in RiverClan except the cats that had been involved. Nightstar in ThunderClan had been particularly interested. Already they had chased out several ThunderClan intruders. Not recently, though. Rippleclaw's patrols had managed to scare them off for now.

A shiver crossed Heronpaw that had nothing to do with the cold. Tonight, right now, he'd be receiving his warrior name.

The Clan leader stepped forward so all the Clan could here him. There was no need to call out to get their attention. Every cat was focused on Badgerstar and Heronpaw now.

"Tonight, we gather together as a Clan, united before StarClan, for one of my favorite duties." Badgerstar's deep voice carried throughout the camp, hooking every cat in. Even the kits, who couldn't sit still any other time, were watching, eyes wide with awe. "Heronpaw has proven himself a worthy of a warrior name." His eyes flashed. "It is my honor to give him one."

The Clan leader turned to the pair sitting side by side in front of the Clan. "Mallowtail, has Heronpaw passed his final assessment to your approval, and shown himself to be ready to receive his warrior name before StarClan?"

Mallowtail lifted her head proudly. "He has."

Badgerstar nodded. "Heronpaw, step forward."

Heronpaw practically shook as he paced forward until he was standing in front of Badgerstar. The massive tom was staring up at the distant stars, still twinkling merrily on the horizon. "I, Badgerstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." The leader turned to face Heronpaw head on. Their eyes met, and Heronpaw knew what was coming. Badgerstar wasn't just beseeching him, but was asking him a sincere question. "Heronpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

Heronpaw knew all cats were watching him, even the warriors in StarClan. He could almost feel the strange eyes of Fernlight, as if she were standing right beside him, watching him become a warrior. "I do." He promised, not just to Badgerstar or his Clanmates, but to Fernlight, Hollystripe, and all the other warriors who had lived and died before him.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Heronpaw, you have proven yourself to be a versatile warrior, full of enterprise. From this moment on, you shall be known as— "

"Heronflight!" There was a sharp jab in his side, and Heronflight opened his eyes groggily. He had been sleeping in the warrior den after a day of hard work. First a border patrol along the WindClan border, and then fishing down by the river. He had managed to catch a carp fat enough to feed all the cats in the nursery.

Sablefur was standing over him, her eyes shining with amusement. "Wake up, sleepyhead! Rippleclaw wants all the cats going to the Gathering to meet in the clearing. It's almost time."

"Okay, I'm coming," he grunted, pulling himself to a sitting position. He wished he'd had more time to sleep. It was very cold out, and his nest was rather warm in comparison. As he licked scraps of moss from his pelt, though, he began to feel more animated. It was his first Gathering tonight! Badgerstar had not let him go before he was named a warrior. Heronflight suspected he didn't want him to be tempted into rejoining SkyClan. Except he hadn't been able to go, even after getting his warrior name. His first moon after, he had slipped into the river water and caught a cold. Kestrelsong had strictly forbidden him to go while he was still sick. The moon after that, clouds had covered the moon. RiverClan hadn't dared to go without StarClan's approval. So Heronflight had been forced to weight the extra three moons to go. That was alright with him, though. He was going tonight, and that was what mattered.

The clearing was packed with cats ready to go. Cinderfrost sat with her head high, outside the nursery. She wasn't allowed to go, so full of kits as she was, but that didn't stop her from saying goodbye to the cats that were. Her mate, Otterfoot, was chatting animatedly beside her. "I promise I'll tell you everything," he finished. Her purr was loud enough for Heronflight to hear outside the warrior's den.

Whitekit charged across the clearing and launched himself onto Nightfall. His father wriggled in the dirt, playing along. "Oh no, he's got me!"

"Enough, Whitekit!" Snowdapple scolded on her way past. "You're going to get your pelt all dirty."

The two-moon old tomkit jumped off Nightfall at once and wrapped himself around her paws. "I wish you could stay and wash me!"

"Don't worry, Whitekit," Icebreath said, padding over. "I'll give you a wash while Snowdapple goes to the Gathering."

The kit wrinkled his nose. "I don't want you to wash me. I want Snowdapple! Why can't I go with her?"

"You're too young," Icebreath explained patiently. "And Snowdapple hasn't been out of the nursery in moons looking after you. She needs to stretch her legs."

"How about I bring you back a mossball from the ThunderClan border?" Snowdapple asked her son affectionately. "Would you like that?"

"Yes!" Whitekit enthused, his eyes brightening.

Heronflight felt a rush of affection for the little kit. The little scruff reminded him so much of what Snowdapple was like when she was that young. They might not be blood, but Heronflight had grown up sharing a nest with Snowdapple. They would always been kin.

At that moment, there was a call outside Badgerstar's den. The Clan leader had appeared, and was giving the signal. Together, the RiverClan cats raced out of the clearing and into the forest. The air bit at Heronflight's face, and he fluffed his fur out to try and keep warm. The cold season was in it's peak. Today had been the shortest day Heronflight could remember in a long time.

Maybe that was why Badgerstar kept a brisk pace. It was too cold to be out for long. The hollow where the Clans gathered would be warmer, Heronflight knew. Water formed at the corner of his eyes. He couldn't wait to warm up with the other Clans.

The clearing was practically empty by the time they got there. Brackenstar was sitting next to the Great Rock, talking to a strange cat Heronflight didn't know. All around, familiar SkyClan cats were interweaving with cats that smelled of ShadowClan. Heronflight had seen the ShadowClan leader, Toadstar, when he had visited RiverClan camp. The leader had spoken to Badgerstar about forming a possible alliance against ThunderClan, but the RiverClan leader had turned him down. He did not want any quarrels with ShadowClan, but he did not want to deliberately start a war with ThunderClan in leafbare. Sablefur had guessed he had really come to spy on RiverClan camp.

"Hey, Heronflight!" a voice sounded from behind, and Heronflight's spirit's rose. He'd know that voice anywhere.

"Sootpelt!" He whirled around and faced the wiry gray cat as he raced forward. "How did you know about my new name?"

His friend shrugged. "Kestrelsong told me a while ago."

Heronflight groaned. Of course Kestrelsong would have told him. They were friends now that they traveled to the Moonstone together once every moon. After the battle with ThunderClan, Sootpelt had been very shaken. Staying up many nights to think, he had decided to switch to being a medicine cat apprentice. He had kept it to himself up until the decision was finalized. That certainly explained why he'd been so secretive before Heronflight left SkyClan.

"Remind me to cuff her over the ear next time I see her."

"She isn't here?" Sootpelt asked curiously. If it had been any cat other than Sootpelt, Heronflight would have been concerned about him asking.

"No, Morningpaw's got an eye infection," he explained. "She wanted to stay behind and look after her."

The medicine cat's eyes stretched wide. "Oh no! Does she need any celadine? I can bring some to her if she needs any."

Heronflight winced uncomfortably. He had no idea what Kestrelsong's stores might need. "Sorry Sootpelt, but I don't know anything about that." His friend's eyes were so downcast that he felt the need to add, "I'll send her over if she needs anything. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Sootpelt nodded. "Good. Cause if she needs any, we've got plenty." His eyes twinkled. "How's your sister?"

Pride sparked in Heronflight's chest as he thought of Ivyrush. "She's well. She's not here tonight either, but she chased a dog off our territory the other day."

"Good for her!" Sootpelt praised, his eyes warm. ThunderClan cats were streaming into the clearing now.

"Yes," Heronflight answered, looking around at the ThunderClan warriors. They were clearly in no hurry. "How's Bearbelly?"

Sootpelt shrugged, as if it were nothing. "Oh she's fine. She's had two healthy kits. Hasn't named them yet though."

Heronflight saw the pride in Sootpelt's eyes. Bearbelly had had a particularly hard pregnancy, he suddenly recalled. He must be proud of his sister's strength. "I'll bet Firestone's happy."

"Oh yeah," his friend commented easily. "Haughtiest cat in the Clan."

"What about Aloeleaf?" he asked, trying to make it sound casual and failing miserably. Sootpelt's eyes gleamed, as if he knew what Heronflight was thinking.

"She's great. Healthy as ever. She's getting pretty big now. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a big litter."

Heronflight couldn't stop himself from purring warmly. "I take it she's in the nursery now."

"Yeah," Sootpelt admitted as WindClan entered the clearing. "Her kits will come any day now. Tangleblaze is with her," he added. Before Heronflight could reply, there was a caterwauling from the Great Rock. All five of the leaders were outlined impressively against their warrior ancestors.

As Toadstar began the traditional opening call, Heronflight felt his ambition wrack him once again. Today, he was a warrior representing his Clan at his first Gathering. He wanted more than anything to be the best warrior he could be for his Clan. In his mind's eye, he could see himself going beyond that. Maybe he'd take a mate and have kits, maybe not. Someday, he could be chosen as the RiverClan deputy, organizing patrols and working extra hard. And if he was strong and willful, maybe he would end up Clan leader. He could almost see himself standing on the Great Rock, giving the opening talk. It felt like a tantalizing fish at the edge of the water.

He saw Brackenstar up there, and thought about his mother in SkyClan. She had given him up so he could have a worthy future. It was a sacrifice he'd have to live with forever. Might as well make the most of it. She was going to have another litter, this one to stay in SkyClan. He'd have more kin in SkyClan! If he ever did become leader, he'd try to ensure that- so long as they didn't bring any harm to his Clan –he wouldn't bring any harm to theirs. After all, he had learned by now not to hold a grudge against those who were different than him.


End file.
